Episode VII: The Shadow of Fate
by lotusflower85
Summary: Thirty years after the death of the Emperor, new foes emerge to threaten the New Republic and the rebuilt Jedi Order. My take on Episode VII - Luke/Mara, Leia/Han, Jaina Solo, Ben Skywalker, OCs.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: Based on the June Challenge at the Skywalker-Jade Revival Society to write Luke's opening scene in Episode VII including an opening crawl. I've decided to expand to a full fic using the casting announcements and treating the EU as non-canon, but available for source material/adaptation._**

* * *

_Peace has been restored to the galaxy. The GALACTIC EMPIRE has fallen and a NEW REPUBLIC, led by LEIA ORGANA SOLO, has ensured freedom for all citizens. _

_Jedi Master LUKE SKYWALKER has rebuilt the Jedi Order to once again become guardians of peace and justice within the Republic. However Skywalker has sensed a disturbance in the Force, an unseen threat that may cast a shadow over everything he and Organa Solo have achieved. _

_Skywalker has dispatched his Jedi across the galaxy to discover the source of this threat and ensure continued peace in the galaxy…_

* * *

The space above Coruscant was always crowded. Luke Skywalker had once imagined that if there was a bright centre of the universe, his home planet Tatooine would be where it was furthest from. Not even in his wildest dreams had he imagined actually visiting that bright centre of the universe, let alone making it his home. Luke still remembered the first time he had seen Coruscant, its surface covered by one, immense city; a million lights mirroring the tightly packed stars in the sky.

Luke reflected on this as he pulled his X-wing out of hyperspace above the planet, the sight still incredible to him, thirty years later. Yet this time a sense of unease permeated him, and Luke scanned the horizon, reaching out through the Force to discern the cause. Numerous Republic-Class Star Destroyers and smaller, naval frigates were stationed around the planet, which was not unusual. As Capital of the New Republic, Coruscant's airspace was tightly monitored, however all that was required to land was a simple Republic vehicle registration.

"I have a bad feeling about this," a crisp female voice came over the comm. It was his wingmate, Kara Ravenlok, and Luke saw her X-wing hover in his peripheral vision.

"I feel it too," Luke confirmed. He noticed a cluster of unfamiliar ships ahead, and observed a squadron of snub fighters being launched from the primary Star Destroyer. Clearly, these ships were unregistered and needed to be disabled on the chance they posed a threat.

"Unidentified vessel," a voice hailed him over the comm. "This is Republic Star Destroyer _Defender_. Please transmit your registration codes immediately."

"This is Luke Skywalker," he advised them, and punched the button which would transit his codes. They would allow him to pass, but Luke was curious as to the situation "Callsign Red Five," he added. In a recent bought of nostalgia, Luke had taken to using his first codename as his private signal which would ensure his presence was brought to the attention of the ship's commander.

"Copy, Red Five," the voice answered more warmly. "Please hold for Admiral Antilles."

"Luke!" Wedge's rich voice flowed over the comm after a few moments. "Good to hear your voice."

"Yours too," Luke answered with a smile. "What's going on?"

"Probably nothing," Wedge said, but Luke could hear the uncertainty in his tone. "Nestiin pirates, maybe," he continued.

"Need a hand?" Luke asked, grinning. He and Ravenlok had just spent a few supremely uneventful weeks on Dathomir, and he was itching to get back into the fray. _Adventure. Excitement. A Jedi craves not these things._ Master Yoda's words came back to him, and Luke smiled to himself. He didn't _crave _those thing, he rationalised, he just was not adverse to them.

"Help yourself," Wedge answered with a chuckle.

"Kara?"

"You know me, Master," Kara answered, a hint of humor slipping through her formal Coruscanti accent. "Ready for anything."

"Alright," he grinned. "I'll take point." Luke maneuvered his X-wing closer to the unidentified ships, and tried to hail them on the open comm. "This is Jedi Master Luke Skywalker," he said. "Please respond or I will disable your ships."

The only response was from the ship's guns, which began to fire on him. Luke swerved the shots easily and remained on course. "Don't fire," he ordered Kara and also sent the message to the Republic snubfighters. NR Navy was disciplined, but wouldn't be too concerned if they blasted those ships out of the sky rather than disabling them as was policy. For Luke, it was a simple task.

All it took was a barrel roll and one proton torpedo and he'd knocked out the largest ship's weapons and sublight engines, leaving the gravity and life support intact. Kara's X-wing soared overhead and did the same to one of the smaller vessels. In a few moments Luke had disabled the final two, leaving all four dead in space.

"Unidentified ships," Luke hailed them again. "Your weapons and engines are disabled. Please wait for collection by New Republic Navy." He smiled to himself. "Have a nice day."

"Thanks Luke," Wedge's voice came through the secure channel. "It's always good for the newbies to see how it's done."

"No problem," Luke answered easily, keeping his voice casual. "I'd be interested to hear what the pilots of those ships have to say for themselves."

"I'll keep you in the loop." Wedge promised him.

Luke's unease hadn't lessened with the disabling of those ships, if anything it had increased. A few months previous, he'd had a vision which continued to haunt his dreams – the Force had sent him a warning, he was sure of it. But Luke hadn't had much luck deciphering the vision, only that it signalled danger to the New Republic, the Jedi and the galaxy itself. And now pirates were trying to infiltrate Coruscant? It hardly seemed like a coincidence.

Luke and Kara descended onto Coruscant and landed their X-wings in perfect formation on the main landing pad of the Jedi Temple. Ground crew scurried around them, removing Artoo and Kara's own R6 unit from the ships. Luke pulled off his helmet and gratefully inhaled the cool Coruscanti air which had become as familiar to him as the dry heat of Tatooine had once been. He ran a hand through his hair, a touch shaggy after the weeks he and Kara had spent on Dathomir. Kara pulled off her own helmet, her dark features alight with a charming smile as she handed it to an aide who had appeared to assist her with removing her flightsuit. Kara wore her hair short – practically shorn - and Luke ran his fingers through his own hair again ruefully.

An aide appeared at Luke's side as he removed his own flightsuit and took the proffered Jedi robe, folding it around him in a comforting shroud. When Kara had put on her own robe, the pair travelled across the landing pad together, Kara's perfect posture accentuated by the lift of her chin as she walked.

She had been the granddaughter of an Imperial Moff and had an aristocratic bearing of the Ravenlok House, an ancient Coruscanti family. But she had been born after the Empire fell, and like Luke's own children, like Leia and Han's daughter, Kara had only ever known times of relative peace. She had been Luke's padawan before she'd been knighted several years ago, but they still made a good team. It wasn't easy to find another Jedi with the same affinity for X-wings as Luke had, but Kara was a gifted pilot with a particular fondness for Rebellion history.

Luke smiled to himself. To someone like Kara, the Death Stars, the Alliance, the Empire, Emperor and Darth Vader were all distant history, something her generation had studied in school and watched holofilms about. Luke had lived it. All too well, he remembered a time when there had seemed to be little hope and no justice in the galaxy. His generation had been raised during war; he was determined to ensure that younger generations would continue to live in times of peace.

"You are uneasy, Master Skywalker," Kara observed as they walked. "Those were not ordinary pirates," she continued.

"I do not think so," Luke answered evenly. "We cannot afford to treat any disturbance as coincidence." He sighed. "But we can ruminate on that later, when I make my report to the Jedi Council. For now, it is good to be home." Luke could not keep the grin from his face as he saw two women at the entrance to the Temple, waiting for them.

Both were pale-skinned, but that was where the similarities ended. The younger of the two, barely out of her teens, was dark-haired with a petite, heart-shaped face and a lopsided grin; his niece, Jaina Solo. And the other – Luke's heart leapt when he saw her, as it had done every day since they had met. Her red-gold hair, accentuated by a few streaks of grey, glinted in the sunlight and when she saw Luke approach a wry smile graced her lips, her green eyes alight. She wore the outer brown cloak of a Jedi out of deference, but refused to wear the cream-coloured tabard and surcoat as the rest of the Jedi did, complaining that the coarse fabric made her skin itch. Instead, she wore dark trousers, knee-high boots and a slim-fitting tunic; a smuggler's ingenuity beneath a Jedi's bearing.

Mara Jade had been raised in the very heart of the Imperial regime, by the Emperor himself. She had been groomed to become his most trusted assassin, to carry out his every will while being kept blind to Palpatine's true, evil nature. Her final order had been to find and kill Luke Skywalker, and she'd been fully committed to fulfilling that mission even after they had met.

Naturally, Luke had fallen in love with her.

"Mara," Luke said as they approached, wanting desperately to take her in his arms but having some sense of decorum. "Jaina," he greeted his niece warmly. "It's good to see you both."

"I'm so glad to see, you, Uncle Luke!" Jaina exclaimed with the exuberance of youth. "I mean," she corrected herself quietly and cleared her throat. "Master Skywalker." She smiled at Kara. "Jedi Ravenlok."

But Luke wasn't bothered with formalities, and pinched Jaina's cheek playfully. "Miss me, huh?"

Jaina looked sheepish, the same look Han had given him a million times. "Aunt Mara always takes it easier on me when you're here," she admitted and beside him, Kara laughed quietly. Although she was Jaina's senior by several years, the two had always been close friends. "The longer you're away," Jaina continued. "The more bruises I seem to get in combat training."

"I thought padawans were supposed to respect their Masters," Mara said, although there was nothing but affection in her tone, and she tugged on Jaina's padawan braid playfully.

"Has everything been okay here?" Luke asked, changing the subject. Ever since his vision, he'd sent out pairs of Jedi to search for anything which may be the cause of the disturbance in the Force. However Jaina was still a padawan and Luke would not allow her to leave Coruscant. That decision had the added advantage of leaving Mara in charge of the Jedi Temple and Academy, and there was no one he trusted more to keep the Order running smoothly in his absence.

"As well as can be expected," Mara told him. "Master Horn and Jedi Zekk have reported nothing suspicious on Naboo, and Master Durron and Jedi Ka have made inroads into a pirate ring on Hapes, but found nothing which would indicate the Dark Side."

"I know there's something out there," Luke said almost to himself. "We just have to find it."

"We will, Luke," Kara said resolutely. "I can go through the Archives again for new leads," she suggested.

Mara was excellent at concealing her emotions, but no one present noticed that she blanched at the idea of them leaving again so soon.

"It will take a few days, of course," Kara added quickly, giving Mara an apologetic look. "Perhaps I should get started," she suggested. "I'm sure you and Master Skywalker have much more to…er…discuss," she added awkwardly.

Mara seemed amused and almost smiled, and Kara responded with a grin as she bowed and took her leave. Mara looked at Luke keenly, but he was aware of Jaina hovering at Mara's elbow, ever attentive to her master. But whilst Luke was deciding on the most delicate way to ask his niece to leave as well, he saw a dark-skinned young man in Senatorial clothes approach, intently tapping on a datapad.

"Hello, Zeb," Luke greeted him.

Zebula Pavish looked up and nodded. "Greetings, Master Skywalker," he said formally, and Luke suppressed a smile. He had known Zeb for many years, ever since Leia had taken the orphaned boy with a keen mind and political aptitude under her wing. He was now her protégé, and however amiable he was in a familial setting, Zeb took his official duties very seriously. "Chancellor Organa Solo has requested an update on your mission," he added purposefully.

"No luck," Luke answered grimly. "The clans I spoke to have sensed nothing, and there is no evidence of Nightsister resurgence. I will make my full report to the Jedi Council," he added. "But tell Leia that I'll come and see her straight after that."

"I will inform her." Zeb nodded. His attention then drifted to Jaina, who had grown very interested in her boots ever since Zeb had arrived.

"Hi, Jaina," Zeb grinned, but there was an undercurrent of nervousness to him, his formality falling away as Jaina looked up at him. Luke didn't miss Zeb fidgeting with the datapad in his hand. Jaina didn't either, but pretended not to notice.

"Hey, Zeb," she said, smiling and biting her lip. "Good to see you."

The two began on conversing quietly about the supremely safe topic of that day's Senate meeting, and Mara tugged on Luke's robe and tilted her head. He followed her with relief into the Temple, noting that she did not remove her hand from the sleeve of his robe. Luke quickly located a deserted corridor and pulled Mara purposefully into a small alcove.

As soon as they were hidden from sight Luke crushed Mara into his embrace, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair as her arms went around his neck, clutching him tightly.

"You miss me too, huh?" he chuckled into her hair, running his hands down her back.

"You know I did," she said as she pulled back slightly. His retort was swallowed by her lips pressing against his, and Luke pulled Mara tighter against him, kissing her passionately. There had not been a moment during their separation that he had not thought of her and now that she was in his arms he didn't ever want to let go. And yet even his exquisite joy was tempered by the knowledge that he would have to, that they both had duties which they could not, and would not, shirk from.

Mara pulled away and sighed contentedly. "What's this?" she asked playfully, stroking the greying whiskers on his chin which he had let grow out over the past few weeks. "Run out of vibrorazors?"

He rubbed his beard sheepishly and shrugged. "Dathomir isn't exactly a health spa."

"Hmph," Mara dismissed, but she kissed him tenderly and ran her fingers down the side of his cheeks and jaw. "Come on, Skywalker," she pulled away and tugged the sleeve of his robe. "Your son is scheduled to comm in."

"My son?" he called after her as he followed her to the communications room.

"Yes," she answered playfully. "He's says he might of found something, but wouldn't explain until you were back. When he's being mysterious and stubborn, he's your son."

"As opposed to when he's being irascible and rude, then he's your son?" Luke asked playfully.

Mara laughed. "Yes." She took his hand as they sat down at the comm unit together and coded in Ben's frequency. It took a few moments to connect due to the distance but they were soon patched through to Ben's ship on Tatooine. Luke had wanted to investigate his home planet himself, but Ben had begged for the assignment and Luke couldn't deny him.

After a few moments Ben appeared in miniature, shaggy ginger hair falling into his eyes and a grim expression on his face. An extremely tall woman with close-cropped, blonde hair stood next to him – Ben's former master, Eren Pax.

"Master Pax," Luke greeted the pair. "Ben."

"Greetings, Master Skywalker," Eren answered in a measured tone. "Master Jade."

"Good to see you, Dad," Ben said with visible relief.

"And me?" Mara needled him, one eyebrow arching.

"Of course, Mum," Ben smiled, his Coruscanti accent tempered with a lilt and informal vernacular he'd picked up somewhere in his youthful travels. "I just…" he trailed off, and looked at Eren, who shook her head almost imperceptibly. "Never mind."

"What's troubling you, Ben?" Luke asked, concerned. Ben had Skywalker blood, had the same deep connection to the Force all of his family did, and Luke wondered whether he'd seen a vision of his own.

"I'll tell you when you get here," Ben said firmly.

"Oh?" Luke asked, trying to keep his voice light, and he felt Mara's hand tighten on his leg. "I'm coming to Tatooine, am I?"

"I think that you should, Master Skywalker," Eren said seriously. "The result of our investigations have been disturbing."

"What is it?" Mara asked.

"I'm not sure but…" Ben took a deep breath, his gaze darting about, unwilling to look directly at the viewer. "I felt something…"

"What?" Mara asked again anxiously, because it was unlike Ben to be so unnerved.

Ben looked up at them, his expression grim. "A Sith."


	2. Chapter 2

IE = Imperial Era. NRE = New Republic Era

* * *

**_21 IE  
_**

_Luke trudged through the swamps of Dagobah towards the small hut Yoda had once occupied. His instincts had brought him back to the planet, even though its lone occupant was now gone._

_It had been many months since the death of the Emperor, and it had been a time of struggle and triumph for the Alliance. With both Palpatine and Vader gone, the Empire's structure quickly crumbled and many officers defected. Worlds which had been held in check through fear now rebelled openly against the Empire and called for the restoration of the Republic. The siege of Coruscant had lasted many weeks, but the Rebels had prevailed and once they held the Capital, the end for the Empire had come very quickly. _

_It was a relief for Luke to get away from Coruscant. After months of battles and negotiations and public appearances urging Imperial-controlled worlds to join their cause, Luke was exhausted. Yet the fight was not over, and whilst Leia was in her element arranging peace talks and elections and Senate meetings, Luke felt utterly ill-equipped to assist in politics. Reconstruction of the Republic was her mission, he had told her, restoring the Jedi Order was his. _

_The Jedi Temple still standing on Coruscant was of little use in that regard. Its great archives had been stripped and erased, its training tools destroyed. It was a hollow shell of what it must have once been, still standing only to give Palpatine pleasure at the thought that he had gutted the building just as he had the entire Jedi Order. _

_And yet Luke remained. He was the last, but as long as he lived the light of the Jedi had not completely gone from the galaxy. So he had returned to his own training grounds, hoping for guidance. _

_Luke brushed aside the vines and moss which had already begun to grow over the front door to Yoda's hut. Crouching low, he entered the dwelling, lighting the fire and taking a seat cross-legged on the floor. The chair Yoda had died in was still there, an empty blanket the only remaining evidence of the Jedi Master who had taught Luke so much, and yet had not given him any guidance on how a Jedi Order should be constructed. _

_Yoda had taught him about the Force with some level of philosophy, but ultimately he had been trained to be a soldier. There were thousands of years of Jedi teachings that he did not know. Luke had not seen Yoda, Ben Kenobi or his father since Endor, and they had not spoken to him on that occasion. _

_Luke moved beside Yoda's chair, the one where the old Jedi would sit in the evenings and tell Luke about the nature of the Force. He gently brushed his fingers against the brown blanket which he had lain so tenderly over his ailing master, asking him not to die. And yet, the blanket was not empty, as Luke had thought when entering. His fingers hit something hard, and he pulled aside the blanket to reveal a cubed, crystal-like device. A holocron. _

_That was what the Force had drawn him to Dagobah to find, Luke realised, knowing that the holocron must contain Jedi Archives that Yoda had been able to keep safe. And yet why had it only appeared now, Luke wondered – why had Yoda not given it to him before? Because he had not been a Jedi, then, Luke reasoned. At that time it was unknown what would become of him. Only after he had completed his final test, and faced Vader, could Luke call himself a Jedi, and so only then could he access their archives. _

_Luke smiled as he held the holocron in his hand, the crystals glinting in the firelight. Yoda had told Luke to pass on what he had learned – now he had given him the means to do so. _

* * *

**29 NRE**

Luke stroked his beard thoughtfully as he regarded his Jedi Council. The Temple chamber had been in ruins when the Alliance had liberated Coruscant, but it had been lovingly restored - not to a be a replica of the room where the Old Republic Jedi had held congress, but in a new and modern style. It was symbolic of the New Order Luke had built, on the foundations of old but with regard to new ideas, unbound from the restrictions and dogma of tradition.

Luke's council consisted of his most seasoned Jedi; Mara of course sat in the chair to his right, his wife, his most trusted friend and greatest ally. They had built the Jedi Order together, which was why Luke had asked her to stay on Coruscant when he had sent most of the other Masters out to investigate the source of the disturbance in the Force he'd felt.

To his left sat Tionne, keeper of the Jedi Archive. She had rebuilt it using the holocron Yoda had left him and her own painstaking research, and knew more about Jedi lore than any other being in the galaxy. The only other Masters physically present were Cilghal, a Mon Calamari female who was the Order's expert in the healing arts and Kam Soulser, Tionne's husband and Master in charge of the Academy younglings. Present via holoprojections were Corran Horn, Kyp Durron and Kirana Ti, the remaining members of the Council.

In the centre of the circled Masters was a holoprojction of Ben and Eren Pax from Tatooine, who had been explaining to the Council what they'd told Luke and Mara.

"It was a disturbing precense," Eren explained in measured tones. She had Utapaun ancestry as well as human, which accounted for her height, dark eyes and stripes of grey skin on her cheekbones. "Although we have not yet found its source, we are certain that it is a Sith."

"And how can you be sure?" Corran Horn spoke up. "There have been no Sith in the galaxy for thirty years, and neither of you have ever come into contact with one." His gaze shifted to Luke and Mara. "Indeed there are only two who can claim that privilege."

"Which is why we ask that Master Skywalker come to Tatooine and assist our investigation," Eren continued, unoffended by Coran's skepticism.

"What exactly have you sensed, Master Pax?" Tionne questioned. "Your report seems rather vague."

"If there is something out there," Mara spoke up, "it is unlikely to make it easy for us to find."

Tionne nodded. "This is true," she admitted. "In the last days of the Old Order, the Jedi found the threat against them difficult to sense."

"We must be vigilant," Kyp Durron declared. "And not make the same mistakes as the Jedi of Old."

"No, we have the privilege of making all new mistakes," Mara added humorously. Luke looked over her and smiled, although he knew there was an undercurrent of truth to her words. He had not spoken yet, as was his habit. He liked to hear the opinion of his Council before making his own thoughts known – often they were swayed by their wisdom and perspective.

"I worry about us having so many Masters away from Coruscant," he said, voicing his concerns. "_That _was a mistake of the old Jedi at the end."

"We agreed that it was necessary," Kam Soulser pointed out. "There were too many leads to follow to avoid it."

Luke rubbed his chin again thoughtfully. "And now a lead has turned into a prospect."

"It's more than that Fath – Master Skywalker" Ben spoke up. "This is it – I'm sure."

Luke saw both Corran Horn and Kyp Durron smile at Ben's confidence. At twenty-five, his son was an experienced Jedi, but he was still young. Every day Luke was thankful Ben had not had to deal with the sorrows and trials he himself had gone through by that age.

"We believe your conviction, Jedi Skywalker," Cilghil said, ever the voice of reason. "But you have not given us much information."

"I sensed it – something out in the Jundland Wastes," Ben said, the faraway look in his eyes visible even through his blue and white projected image. "It was darkness, not just the absence of light," he continued. "A shadow created from the darkness, eating the light until there was no more."

Luke had already heard this, and so looked to the reactions of his Council, which were primarily concern and unease.

"A vision?" Kirana Ti asked, and Ben nodded gravely in response.

"I will leave for Tatooine tomorrow," Luke announced. "Masters Horn, Durron and Ti, can I recommend that if your missions are complete you return to Coruscant."

Kirana and Kyp nodded in assent, but Corran was reluctant. "Although Jedi Zekk and I have not found anything of concern here on Naboo," he told them, "I believe further investigation is warranted."

"Very well," Luke nodded. "Please report if you find anything." He turned back to Eren and Ben. "Master Pax, Jedi Skywalker, I'll see you in a few days."

* * *

When the Council had been adjourned, Luke swiftly made his way to the Senate Chambers were Leia kept her offices as Chancellor. However on arriving, he was informed by Zeb that Leia had already left for the day. After confirming that Zeb would be attending the family dinner later that night, Luke made his way to Leia and Han's apartments at 500 Republica. As his and Mara's apartment was located in the same building, albeit some floors below, he stopped briefly to shower and change before appearing at Leia's door refreshed.

His sister looked somewhat harried as she answered. She was dressed casually and her dark brown hair, streaked with the occasional grey, was drawn into a simple bun at the nape of her neck. But her dark eyes lit up when she saw him, and gave him a fierce hug. He held her tightly, relief and happiness flooding through him. The bond he and his sister shared was unparalleled, and it often felt as if they were merely two halves of the same person, so much so that sometimes it was painful to be apart for long periods of time. A byproduct of their connection was that it was nigh impossible to conceal their feelings and moods from one another, and Luke could sense that Leia was distressed.

"Are you alright, Leia?" he asked as they moved into the living room.

Leia shrugged and took a seat on the couch and Luke sat beside her, taking her hand. "It's been a stressful time in the Senate," she told him. "Senator Avarice continues to question my every decision, and it is getting irksome." She sighed deeply. "I know I asked Zeb for your report, but I was feeling a little tired, so thought I would come home."

"Are you unwell?" Luke asked, concerned. It was not like Leia to get tired.

"No, no," she waved her free hand dismissively, but Luke was not deceived. He was about to question her further when he remembered the date. In a few mere weeks it would be the anniversary of…

"I'm sorry, Leia," he said, squeezing her hand, already regretting that he had asked. "If you need anything..."

"It's fine," Leia gave him a weak smile. "Tell me about the Council."

Luke filled her in on the details and his concern regarding Ben's vision. It worked in distracting Leia, and she quickly became her usual analytical self. "Eren's right," she told him. "If the Sith have returned, you are best suited to sense it." She furrowed her brow in thought. "I think it best not to inform the Senate until we have more information."

Luke nodded in agreement. "There's no need to cause concern until we know more."

"But enough dreariness," Leia said airily and patted his hand. "Are Mara and the kids coming tonight?"

"Of course," he told her, smiling. "Except Ben, obviously. The others wouldn't dare miss it and risk a lecture from you, Leia."

Leia laughed lightly. "What kind of Chancellor would I be if I can't even run my own family?"

There was one tradition in the Solo and Skywalker families, and that was a weekly dinner at Leia and Han's. The early days following the liberation of Coruscant had been even busier than the wartime preceding it, with Han given more and more military duties, Leia working hard on the reconstruction of the government and Luke studying and searching for Jedi heritage. Once, when they had gone many months without seeing each other, Leia had decreed that the situation could not continue. She had informed them both and Chewie that once a week they would have dinner at her and Han's apartment, and if any of them were on Coruscant they must attend. Being offworld was the only excuse, and it ensured that they made time for each other. Over the years the order was extended to Mara when she and Luke married, and of course their children. They had also picked up a few strays over the years, such as Zeb Pavish, whose part of their family had been confirmed when he'd failed to appear one night due to a late Senate meeting and Leia had been cold and snippish to him for three days straight. After that he had been sure to attend every one.

"It's good to be home," Luke told her. "I've even missed your not-so-subtle reminders about dinner so I don't forget."

Leia laughed. "Well I know how you get caught up in things, Luke."

"Leia, they've been once a week on the same night for close to thirty years!" he chuckled. "I think I can remember on my own."

"Well the day I don't remind you will be the day you'll forget," she shook her finger at him, but there was a charming grin on her face. "Mara's been coming, of course."

"She wouldn't dare risk your wrath, either," Luke joked, and Leia laughed again in response.

"She's missed you, Luke," Leia continued more seriously. "She always does of course, when you're not here. But she seemed to feel it more keenly this time."

Luke sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I know." He'd felt it in her kiss earlier, in the way she'd clutched his leg, under the table so Ben couldn't see, when they'd spoken to him. It was unlike her to admit to missing him, her concerns usually more closely guarded. "She's worried about me – about the visions I've had."

"We all are." Leia shifted closer and rested her head against his shoulder, and Luke put his arm around her in response. "Be careful on Tatooine, Luke. Please."

* * *

The sun had already set when Leia and Jaina had finished their afternoon training. Mara was pleased with her apprentice's progress, knowing that she soon would be ready for her Trials and Knighthood.

"Come on," Mara tugged on Jaina's padawan braid, observing sadly that she soon would no longer be able to make the playful gesture. "Or we'll be late."

A young man was waiting for them as they left the training room, slouching casually against the wall. He wore a fashionably cut jacket, trousers with second-class Corellian bloodstripes and impeccably polished black boots. He had auburn hair which was close-cropped in the style favoured by Coruscant's glitterati and was grinning charmingly and chatting to a pair of female Jedi.

"Micah," Mara called to him as they approached, before giving a disapproving look to the girls, ensuring that the scurried off. "Enjoying yourself?"

"I was," he answered with a smile. "Until you showed up to cramp my style, Ma." Although a Coruscanti native, Micah had picked up the hint of a Corellian accent which bled through every now and then.

Mara rolled her eyes. "I thought you were on Rodan?"

"Karrde's given me a few days off," Micah explained. "Just landed planetside, thought I'd pick you up on the way to Aunt Leia's. Hey Jaina."

"Hey, Micah," Jaina greeted her cousin with a lopsided smile. "I wouldn't bother with those two," she continued, indicating the young women who were retreating down the hallway. "They only have eyes for each other."

Micah shrugged. "Scintillating conversationalists, though," he grinned.

Mara shook her head and sighed with a mixture of exasperation and affection. Micah was twenty-one and currently apprenticed to Talon Karrde, the smuggler for whom Mara had worked following the death of the Emperor. He had been with New Republic Intelligence for a few years, where he had earned the bloodstripes during an undercover operation on Corellia, but was on sabbatical with Karrde's organization to, as he had put it, explore his options in the private sector. Micah had always been a stubborn and free spirited boy, and had no desire to be a Jedi.

Everyone had expected Luke to be unhappy at his son's choice, particularly Micah, to the point where he had confided in Han long before he had Luke and Mara. But the old smuggler knew his brother, and advised Micah to be honest, knowing Luke would never want his children to be forced into a life they had not chosen. If anyone knew what it was like to chafe under the weight of expectation, it was Luke, first being pressured by Owen Lars into a farmer's life, and then the overwhelming responsibilities he'd had as the galaxy's only Jedi. Luke had supported Micah's decision to join NRI at sixteen, and then persuaded Mara to arrange for his apprenticeship with Talon.

And as it was unlike her old boss to give his staff time off for no reason, Mara could only assume that he had heard Luke was returning to Coruscant and so had sent Micah home as well. Mara was grateful to Talon for his foresight, for Mara had been missing her boys dreadfully. She'd had Jaina to keep her company, and of course her youngest child Cilla, but she longed for the company of her husband and sons. Time had tempered her, Mara thought wryly; if the girl who'd been in the Emperor's service had been told she would one day be a Jedi Master and also the loving mother of three children, she would not have believed it. She didn't know what her younger self might find more preposterous, motherhood or the fact that her husband would be Luke Skywalker.

"Have you seen your sister?" Mara asked Micah as they walked to his speeder.

"Yeah," Micah shrugged. "The little squint was around here somewhere."

As if on cue, a blonde fourteen year old appeared in a flurry of movement, her hazel eyes alight. "Hi, Mum!" she called out. "Guess what Master Soulser taught us today? Levitating! It's so cool," she gushed. "I was able to float three rocks _and _a datapad."

"Wow," Micah said sarcastically, and Mara cuffed him around the ear.

But Cilla ignored her brother's comment. "Wanna see, Mum?"

In looks and temprement, Cilla was was so much like the father that doted on her. Although he loved his sons, Luke had desperately wanted a little girl, and Mara had found herself unexpectedly pleased upon finding that she was pregnant again. "Maybe later, Cilla," she told her, smoothing back the hair from her daughter's braid that had come loose. "We have to get to Aunt Leia's."

But Cilla's excited chatter did not abate once they were in the speeder and hurling through Coruscant's traffic. "Alema told me that there was a space battle up there today! So cool, was it Dad? I told her I thought it was Dad coming back. I should have asked Myri, her father's the Admiral, so she would know."

Jaina gave her young cousin an indulgent look. "But how would she if she was in class with you?"

"She's in the_ older_ class," Cilla said, as if that explained everything. "Oh, and we had history class as well, it was actually interesting for a change," she continued, already on her next thought. "We're getting to the stuff Dad did, now, like rescuing Aunt Leia from the Death Star. Do you know she told Dad he was too short for a stormtrooper?" Cilla laughed. "She's so funny. Next class we're going to learn about the Battle of Yavin, although I know most of that."

"When are you going to get to the class about sitting quietly and still?" Micah asked with good humor. "Cause I think that needs some practice." Mara almost cuffed him again, but as he was driving the speeder decided against it.

"Go on, Cilla," Mara told her daughter, but Cilla was already on the next subject. The teenager was her baby, but Mara had to admit that Luke handled her exuberance better than she did. No matter how many long-winded, tangent-filled stories the child told him, he always listened with rapt attention.

Although she had started training at the Jedi Academy, Cilla had yet to make up her mind about becoming a Jedi. She had aspirations to a military lifestyle, the command of a fleet of Star Destroyers her dream. Mara had reminded her that she could be both, for the new Order was not inflexible on such matters as the old had been. No children were taken from their homes, and indeed were not permitted to start training until they were thirteen.

_Families should be together_ was Luke's creed, and refused to train anyone unless they were cognizant enough to make the choice to become a Jedi. Mara had never appreciated the meaning behind those words until now, when she was longing for all of her family to be together. Yes, Luke and Micah had returned, Jaina and Cilla were with her, and she would see Leia and Zeb tonight, but it wasn't the whole family. Chewie had been on Kashyyk for the better part of a year, Han had been called in to assist with a situation on Corellia and Ben was of course still on Tatooine. It had even been a while since she had seen many of the extended family, Lando Calrissian and his wife Tendra, Wedge and Iella Antilles, Corran and Mirax Horn. Even Talon Karrde had been too busy to drop by for several months.

In fact, Mara couldn't remember the last time all of the family had been in the same room together. Between that, Luke's vision and the presence Ben had sensed on Tatooine, a deep sense of foreboding settled in Mara's heart and refused to be moved.

* * *

It was late into the night; more likely the early hours of the morning but still Mara could not sleep. Dinner at Leia's had been wonderful, and Mara smiled at the memory of Luke and Micah talking seriously about the developments in Karrde's organization, Leia listening patiently while Cilla recounted the story of Leia's own rescue from the Death Star that she had learned in class that day, and Jaina and Zeb's adorably awkward flirtations. And of course the added happiness of the night had come when she and Luke had finally been alone.

In the moonlight, Mara watched Luke as he tossed fitfully in his sleep. It was the visions still plaguing him, made worse by Ben's information. She shifted closer to her husband and rubbed his arm, sending out soothing waves through the Force and willing him back to consciousness. He awoke with a start, his eyes bright in the dim light.

"The same dream?" she asked quietly, gently stroking his brow and pushing sweat-slicked hair out of his eyes.

Luke nodded, but did not speak, still troubled.

"And here I thought our reunion had exhausted you enough not to dream," she said playfully, kissing his shoulder.

That made him smile, and Luke rolled onto his side so that he was facing her, running a light hand down her side. "I'm not too exhausted for another reunion," he suggested, kissing her lightly.

Mara pulled him close. "Well technically it would be a farewell," she observed. "You're leaving in a few hours."

Luke pressed his forehead against hers. "Don't remind me."

"I should be going with you," she whispered, holding his gaze.

"You know you can't." He reached up and stroked her hair lightly, brushing it behind one ear before taking her hand in his and kissing her palm.

"If there's one thing you should know by now, Skywalker, is not to tell me what I can't do." She gave him a wry smile. "Jaina's almost ready for her Trials," she added seriously.

"_Almost_ ready," he repeated back to her. "Is not ready." He sighed and squeezed her hand gently. "I don't think it's safe for a padawan to leave Coruscant right now, not until we've assessed this threat. I want you with me, Mara, more than anything. But no one is above the rules."

"Not even Luke Skywalker?" she prodded.

"_Especially_ not Luke Skywalker," he responded seriously.

"I know," she admitted. "I just like to be the one to watch your back."

"There will be three other Jedi to watch my back," he reminded her.

"I know," she repeated and kissed him gently. "But I have more of a vested interest in it," she teased, running her hands down the bare skin of his back.

Luke chuckled and pulled her close, rubbing his nose against hers playfully. "I know," he mimicked her.

"So smug, Farmboy," she said, but let him kiss her.

"After thirty years, I'm still a Farmboy?" he whispered against her lips.

"Yes," she said resolutely, pulling back to give him a smirk. "Same as the day I met you."

"And you took me for one the moment we met, huh?" he reminisced.

"How could I not?" she teased him. "With your unfashionable haircut and vulgar 'Rim accent?"

Luke laughed. "You weren't watching my back, then," he observed.

"I was," she told him with a smile. "But I was trying to figure out where to stick a vibroblade."

"I hope you are better disposed in your current observation," he said playfully.

"Oh I am," she confirmed. "I'll miss watching it. And I'll miss your smile," she added as she kissed him on the upturned corner of his mouth. "And I'll miss your…hands," she said somewhat breathlessly as he ran his fingers over her skin gently. She smirked. "I'll even miss this stupid beard," she added, tapping him on the chin.

"I'll shave it off before I get back," he promised her.

"No, don't," she protested, arching into him as his touch skirted her side and over her hip. "I kind of like it."

Luke smiled. "You like anything that makes me look stupid."

But Mara was unable to think of a suitable reply, and instead kissed him again.


	3. Chapter 3

**_22 IE  
_**

_Luke Skywalker looked apprehensively around the table at the leaders of the New Republic. Leia was next to him, her hand resting over his on the table in silent support. Han sat on the other side of him, and gave Luke an encouraging nod. But they had known what he'd come here to say, the real concern was the three beings opposite._

_Admiral Ackbar looked impassive, but then Mon Calamari never gave too much away. Mon Mothma, recently elected Chancellor, was as always cool and serene, but there was a shimmer of concern about her. General Madine did not bother to try and hide his disappointment, his mouth in a firm line and his eyes hard._

_"What did you say?" Madine asked, as if Luke had not spoken clearly._

_"I said that I want to resign my commission." Luke did not flinch, holding Madine's gaze._

_"General Skywalker, you asked for a sabbatical to research your Jedi heritage," Madine responded evenly. "Now that you have returned I had hoped you would _resume_ your command, not relinquish it entirely."_

_Luke had been somewhat unwillingly promoted to General following the Battle of Endor. He'd accepted that his skills were needed and had led troops in both the Battle of Corellia and the Liberation of Coruscant. But the past months he'd spent researching the Jedi and his own family history had made it clear that he could no longer hold such a rank._

_"I am a Jedi," Luke told them. "I must serve the Republic as one."_

_"The Jedi were soldiers when it was required of them," Ackbar pointed out. "Your own Master Kenobi was a General during the Clone Wars."_

_"Yes, but that was not their purpose," Luke argued. "Jedi are peacekeepers first and foremost."_

_"But surely you must see how vital your presence is for morale," Madine pressed, leaning forward in his chair. "For our citizens and soldiers to know that a Jedi serves the Republic is immensely important."_

_"I will continue to serve the Republic," Luke stated, careful to keep his voice even. "Just not from within the confines of the military."_

_Leia shifted slightly next to him. "I should point out that I support my brother wholeheartedly," she stated._

_But Madine was not satisfied. "General Solo was also reluctant to retain his military rank," he argued. "But was persuaded that the public good outweighed his personal desires."_

_"Hey," Han shrugged. "Just because I was stupid enough to get talked into it, doesn't mean Luke is. And you promised me a cushy job, Madine," he continued, lazily pointing his finger at the General. "Ribbon-cutting, diplomatic attendances, that kind of thing. Nothing that's going to put my back out."_

_Luke couldn't help but smile. "Well when it comes to expert diplomacy, the first name_ I_ think of is Han Solo."_

_Han laughed. "Hey, I've managed a few tricky situations in my time."_

_"Shooting first isn't usually considered an act of diplomacy," Luke grinned. _

_"If you two are finished," Madine cut in with irritation. He had never really lost the formality of his Imperial training. "The three of you are the Alliance's greatest heroes," he continued gravely. "The war may be over, but the struggle continues." _

_"We have achieved our objective," Mon agreed, the first time she had spoken. "The Republic has been restored. Now our mission is to maintain it."_

_"The Jedi Order was a cornerstone of the Old Republic," Luke put in carefully. "Surely my efforts are best spent rebuilding that Order." He looked over at Leia and she gave him a small smile in support. Although she had agreed to work on developing her strength in the Force, she had decided to focus on politics rather than formal Jedi training. "I need further time to study the holocron Master Yoda left me," he continued. "And search for further records if possible. And of course I need students." He hadn't yet figured out how he was supposed to do that. _

_"The restoration of the Jedi Order is important to the New Republic," Mon agreed. She studied Luke for several long moments. "But if you are adamant, of course we will not force you. I accept your resignation, General Skywalker, with regret." _

_Luke was relieved. "Thank you."_

_General Madine was clearly unhappy, but would not go against the Chancellor. He cleared his throat and gave her a meaningful look. "There is the other matter…" _

_"Yes," Mon nodded. "Luke, this Council appreciates that you and Leia have been candid with us in your discovery of your…familial connections."_

_Leia gave him a look, her mouth twisting bitterly. She was still dealing with the knowledge about their father, and it had only been her sense of honour that had made her reveal that knowledge to the leadership council of the Alliance. _

_"Whilst during the war such matters were unimportant, now that the government has been formed, questions will be asked," Mon continued. "I understand you have only revealed the…particulars of your heritage to a few people?"_

_Luke nodded. "Outside of this room the only people who know are Wedge Antilles, Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca," he told them. _

_"We would like to keep it that way," Ackbar said, his large eyes blinking several times._

_"I'm sorry?" Luke was surprised. During the war with the remains of the Empire, and seeing the knowledge was still raw for Leia, he had not pressed disclosure that Vader had been their father, nor his actions in saving Luke's life. But he had assumed that time would allow them to reveal to truth._

_"Your story has great propaganda potential," Madine explained. "Twins born in secret, separated and hidden for their own safety. Finding each other once again to lead the Alliance to victory over the Empire." He smiled for the first time that day. "The masses will love it."_

_"However, we believe that people would not take kindly to the knowledge that Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader were one in the same," Ackbar continued gravely. "In fact it may have severe negative consequences."_

_"We suggest ackowledging that your father was Anakin Skywalker," Mon added. "He was, after all, a Jedi and hero of the Clone Wars – many people remember his name. But as far as this Council is concerned, Anakin Skywalker died in the Jedi Purges."_

_"But that's not the truth," Luke disputed._

_"And what did I say that was untrue?" Madine asked. _

_"It is lying by omission," Luke insisted. "And Vader turned back to the light in the end, surely his sacrifice should be known?"_

_Mon gave him a pitying look. "For many people in this galaxy, no good that Vader did at the end of his life could possibly make up for all the evil." Her soft voice became unusually brittle, as close to anger as Luke had ever seen her. "Many of us remember the Jedi Purges, the scourging of Corellia, the subjugation of Kashyyyk. We are not as forgiving as you, Luke."_

_Leia squeezed his hand gently. "I agree with Mon," she said softly. "Let Anakin be remembered as a Jedi – the Hero Without Fear. Not as the Sith Lord who took hold of him."_

_Luke still didn't like it, but was unwilling to get into a further argument over the matter. And, if he employed Obi-Wan's reasoning, Anakin Skywalker had indeed died in the Clone Wars, died the day he became Darth Vader. The thought made him feel slightly sick, but Luke swallowed his bitterness, to be meditated on later._

_"Very well," he agreed. _

_The conversation moved onto Leia and Han's upcoming wedding, a subject that brought everyone much joy. The ceremony had been planned to coincide with the upcoming New Year celebrations, symbolizing a fresh start for the Republic on a personal and political level. Thankfully, Luke was not required to participate much in the conversation, other than to agree with the preparations enthusiastically. Eventually, the informal council was dismissed, and Luke was thankful that he was not usually required to attend such meetings. And yet there was still one matter unaddressed._

_"Chancellor Mothma, will you stay?" he asked when she began to stand. Leia looked at him quizzically, for he had not had time to explain to her his recent discoveries. "It concerns Leia and myself."_

_"Of course," Mon answered evenly, and she gestured for Ackbar and Madine to leave. When the two men had departed she turned her soft gaze back to Luke, inviting him to continue. _

_"Mon," he asked, "you were part of the Delegation of 2000, is that right?" Luke had managed to uncover records of the petition she and other Senators had submitted to Palpatine in the final days of the Clone Wars. _

_"Yes," Mon nodded, clearly shocked by the question. "As was your father, Leia," she turned to his sister. "Bail Organa, I mean."_

_"Do you remember Senator Padmé Amidala?" Luke questioned, and his suspicions were confirmed when Mon looked down at her hands. _

_"Of course I remember Padmé," Mon said softly after a brief pause. "She was a fine politician, and a brave woman." When she looked up, her eyes were bright. "What are you asking, Luke?"_

_Luke looked over at Leia and took her hand gently. "I believe that she was our mother."_

_Leia's eyes widened, and he felt her surge of elation and hope in the Force. "Our mother?" She was silent for several long moments, her hand clutching Luke's tightly. Han moved to the seat on Leia's other side and put an arm around her. For once, there was no trace of cynicism in his smile. _

_"Did you know?" Leia asked with a hint of accusation as she raised her gaze to the woman across the table. _

_"I…suspected about you, Leia," Mon told them. "Any fool could see that Padmé was with child, and when Bail and Breha adopted you as a war orphan…" She trailed off. "But I didn't know who the father was. I didn't know about you, Luke," she added regretfully, her eyes wet. "I wish I had. I wish Bail had shared his secrets with me, so that I would be able to tell them to you now." There was another long silence, and Mon smiled at them sadly. "You look so much like her, Leia," she continued eventually, her voice quavering slightly. "And you have her flair for politics." She looked back at Luke. "And in you, Luke, I see her overwhelming compassion. She had such a quiet strength, and would be so proud of both of you."_

_Luke's heart ached hearing the words, it was one thing to discover the information, but to hear about his mother from someone who actually knew her was more fulfilling than he could of imagined. Next to him Leia drew a shaky breath, and Han held her tighter. But her gaze still rested on Mon Mothma. _

_"Tell us about her," she requested. _

* * *

**29 NRE  
**

Kara Ravenlok walked through the spaceport towards where her X-wing was docked, her grandfather Trevin floating in his repulsorchair beside her. He had been an Imperial Moff in the days of the Empire, and had been persuaded by his daughter Sidel to defect to the Alliance during the Liberation of Coruscant, or, as her grandfather still called it, the Invasion of Coruscant. Sidel had been a Rebel sympathizer, and whilst the old man's ideology aligned with the Empire, his heart had ultimately belonged to his daughter.

He was one of the first Coruscant-based Moffs to surrender to Alliance forces, although the action still troubled him. To add insult to injury, Sidel fell in love with and married Oren Tedeya of Rogue Squadron, and Trevin found himself drawn further into the New Republic government keen to make use of his Imperial status and aristocratic family that could trace its lineage back to the Ruusan Reformation.

Now long since retired, Trevin's primary source of pleasure came from criticizing the New Republic and comparing it to his rosy-eyed memory of the Empire. That, and Kara did not think it vain to admit, herself. She had been doted on by Trevin her entire life, particularly since her parents had died, and although he liked to grumble about her being a Jedi, Kara knew it was done with affection.

"Only arrived yesterday," Trevin was complaining, more to himself than anyone else, pushing the drive lever in his chair forward to keep up with Kara's long strides. "And off you go again, to serve that jumped-up 'Rim yokel."

"I don't serve him, grandfather," Kara reminded him. "We work together."

"Hmph," Trevin snorted, as he always did. "I don't know why you all worship him so much. Who is his family, huh?" Trevin tutted. "Anakin Skywalker, that popinjay. I remember him swanning around here like he owned the place. And who was _his_ father? No one knows."

Kara rolled her eyes, knowing that it was no use arguing. She was grateful when they approached the landing platform where their X-Wings sat ready to go. Luke was there already, standing by his ship making the final checks while his young daughter assisted him in between animated chatter.

"Hmph," Trevin snorted again as they approached, for he had no appreciation for teenage enthusiasm.

"Kara!" Cilla Skywalker did not notice Trevin's disapproval, and bounded over to give Kara a firm hug in greeting and launching immediately into a rundown of the ship checks.

"Hello, Cilla," Kara managed to say with an indulgent smile.

"Hi, Baron Ravenlok!" Cilla greeted Trevin with equal enthusiasm, thankfully remembering to use his correct title. "You came to see Dad and Kara off, huh? You must be sad Kara is leaving again so soon, but Dad says they have to, real important stuff. Do you think-"

Cilla was interrupted by Luke's gentle hand on her shoulder. He seemed to be the only one who could exert a calming force on the child, although Kara had never known him to willingly silence her. In fact, more often than not Luke let her run on until exhausted, and Kara was intrigued by the change in habit.

"Are you ready to go, Luke?" Kara asked, thinking perhaps that he was anxious to start the mission.

Luke nodded. "Final checks complete, but Micah said he would be here…"

As if on cue, the boy casually strode across the spaceport and greeted them, throwing Kara a flirtatious smile and Trevin a lazy salute which only made him snort again in disapproval.

"Your children are unruly, Skywaker," Trevin observed, but there was no real judgment in his voice.

Luke's face cracked into a smile as he squeezed Cilla's shoulder gently. "Yes they are," he replied proudly.

"Hmph." Trevin frowned but was unable to maintain it. "I have to get going, Kara."

"Of course." Kara stepped forward and kissed Trevin's forehead. "I'll see you in a few weeks, grandfather." She patted his hand fondly and promised that next time she would stay longer. He had seemed comforted by that, and directed his chair back across the spaceport.

Kara turned back to Luke. "Ready?"

Luke nodded, drawing Cilla into a tight hug and kissing the top of her head.

Micah looked around the spaceport with a frown. "Mom's not here?" he questioned.

Luke shook his head. "We said our goodbyes this morning."

"Ew," Micah wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Dad, that's gross."

"I didn't mean that," Luke insisted, but all the same his cheeks became warm.

"Oh, so you deny it?" Micah pressed the point with a teasing smile.

Luke stared at him for several moments, clearly unable to do so, and Kara laughed. The affection that Luke and Mara had for one another was clear to all that met them, and it warmed her heart to see such love.

"Dad!" Cilla chastised him, looking scandalized. "I live there too! That's disgusting."

"Look you two," Luke scolded them, his embarrassment turning to annoyance. "It is not gross and disgusting. When a husband and wife share the very expression of love-"

"Ahh!" Cilla wailed and clapped her hands over her ears. "I don't want to hear this."

Micah laughed. "The _expression of love_, you're such a cornball, Dad," he said drolly. "I'd rather be gross and disgusting." He turned to Kara and winked, to which she responded with an amused raise of the eyebrow. Several of her society friends had been involved with Micah Skywalker, and from all reports he was quite the cad – but in the right way, they had been quick to assure her. Kara was immune to his charm, but was amused by it.

But Cilla's mouth dropped open, still in that blissful phase of innocent adolescence. "Not you too, Micah!"

Micah ruffled her hair. "Fraid so, little sis," he chuckled. "Is it my fault if the ladies find me undeniably attractive?"

"Micah." Luke gave him a stern look, and Kara covered her smile with one hand. Although she loved her grandfather, he thrived on formality and she could never joke in such a way with him. She wondered if her father had lived, she would have been able to tease him as Micah did Luke.

Micah shrugged, unconcerned by Luke's disapproval. "Hey, if you got it, flaunt it," he said, and winked at Kara again, like it was a conspiracy they shared. "It's like Uncle Han told me, you gotta check out all the planets in the system to see which one you like before you settle down on one."

"And have you found one you like?" Luke asked tiredly.

Micah grinned. "I've found heaps I've liked," he answered. "What?" he pressed when Luke grimaced. "I'm not going to make the same mistake as Ben, and waste my life pining over the first girl who showed me any attention."

Cilla gasped. "You're not supposed to talk about that!" she said breathlessly. "Ben will be so mad."

"Ben ain't here," Micah shrugged again, the picture of cool indifference. Not for the first time, Kara wondered if Micah's bravado was in part a cover for his anxiety. All of Luke's family was worried for him, as if they all had sensed that there were to be troubling times ahead.

"We should go, Luke," Kara suggested gently.

Luke nodded. "We'll talk when I get back, Micah," he said, and drew his son into an embrace, which Micah uncharacteristically accepted.

"Bye, Dad," he said as he drew away. "Clear skies." They were old words; pilot's words, but Kara could hear the son's words underneath.

_Be careful, Dad. Come back._

* * *

The remains of the Kenobi homestead on Tatooine had not yielded much information to the man who had taken it for temporary shelter. It had been picked over by Sand People many times, and there was little evidence that the Jedi Master had ever been there. And yet the old Jedi's presence still lingered, a purity of light that permeated every inch of the home. It was sickening.

His father returned at sunset – tall, like himself, pale-skinned, dark hair, although his father's beard was tinged with liberal grey where his was almost black; face punctuated by a long nose and framed by ears slightly larger than normal. The similarity in likeness was a point of pride, and he wondered whether the Skywalker boy resembled his father as much. He had of course observed Ben Skywalker and his companion Jedi from afar, but had not been able to compare him to his sire, having not seen the Jedi Master in the flesh. Yet.

"Did you feel it?" his father asked, although he must already know the answer.

"He is coming, as you said he would Father." He paused, seeing the anxious tinges around his father's Force sense. "And we will destroy him."

His father looked back out through the entrance to the home, where the twin suns cast the horizon in an orange and red glow. "This is his homeworld," he said simply. "He will have the advantage."

"And we will take it from him." It was no false confidence – for in his very soul he trusted the strength of his father, of himself. For years, they had studied the ancient ways together, watching the Jedi from the shadows like the Sith of old.

"Yes, my son." His father's face was silhouetted by the sunset behind, creating a shimmering halo around his shadowed face. "We will destroy this Jedi dynasty," he promised. "_Ours_ will be the line that continues."


	4. Chapter 4

**_1 NRE  
_**

_It was the first day of Coruscant's annual New Year celebrations, distinct for also being the first New Year of the New Republic government. Under the Empire there had been suitable pomp and ceremony to celebrate the beginning of each year, but the revelry had always been tempered with restraint and a hint of fear. _

_For the people of Coruscant, old and new, it was the first time in a generation that they had been allowed to celebrate freely without stormtroopers on every corner and watchful security cams waiting for any hint of rebellion. It was also to be Leia's wedding day, and she stood alone in her and Han's apartment where she had spent the morning getting ready. _

_It should be the happiest day of Leia's life, and yet she couldn't shake her melancholy._

_Leia looked at herself in the mirror, admiring the beauty of the dress that had been made for the occasion by Alderaani fashion designer Olena Ra. The old woman had been fortunate enough to be off planet that horrible, final day, and had spent the last six years remembering her homeworld through the clothes she created. Olena had approached Leia directly when her engagement to Han had been announced, requesting the honour of making her wedding dress. _

_A lump formed in Leia's throat as she gazed at her own reflection, a familiar pang of sorrow lancing through her. The dress was beautiful - the bodice had been hand-stitched with a pattern of leaves and flowers interspersed between time blue gemstones, and was cut to fit her form perfectly. The skirt was made from shimmersilk in the royal blues of Alderaan. The colour caught the light as the fabric shifted, varying from the light azure of the Alderaan sky to the deepest cobalt of her vast oceans. The folds of the skirt fluttered around her legs and feet like a waterfall, and there were more shimmersilk folds flowing down her back. She also wore blue Alderaani gemstones glittering at her throat, a gift from her friend Oren Ravenlok. _

_Leia picked up the silver circlet which was to be the crowning touch; a replica of the one her mother had worn to her own wedding as per royal custom. Her mother, like most Alderaani women, often wore her hair an elaborate styles which Leia had always emulated for official functions. The one exception was a woman's wedding day, when her hair was unbound and unrestrained to symbolize her freedom and happiness. _

_Her mother should be here, Leia thought to herself bitterly. She should be placing the circlet in Leia's hair, as Breha's mother had done for her, as all the queens before her had done for their daughters. Bail should be pacing nervously outside, directing the final preparations and giving Han a stern warning to look after his little girl. Leia should be surrounded by cousins and aunts and other family, fussing over her, gossiping, drinking wine, but instead she was alone, never feeling the loss of her parents and Alderaan family more keenly. Leia put the circlet down on the table beside the mirror and forced back her tears. _

_There was a gentle knock at the door, and Leia composed herself. "Come in," she called, grateful that her voice was cool and steady. However, when Luke entered the room dressed in a formal suit of navy blue, she knew that her distress would be as obvious to him as if she was standing there sobbing. To his credit, though, he did not press her, and simply enfolded her in his arms and kissed her forehead. _

_"Leia, you look beautiful," he said as he drew back to arm's length, although kept hold of her hands. "I'm so happy for you."_

_Leia smiled, but it did not escape her notice that his eyes were slightly bloodshot. "I hope Han is in a better state than you," she admonished him gently. "I thought last night was just a few drinks with the Rogues?"_

_"Well, with those guys, the term 'few' is relative," he replied sheepishly. "But Han is perfectly fine," he added quickly. "He was on his best behavior. We, er…may have had an arrangement that I would drink whatever he couldn't."_

_"I see," she laughed. "And people say you're incorruptible," she teased him. "They have no idea."_

_"But I'm upright, and I'm here," Luke said with a smile. "Escorting my sister to marry that corrupting force."_

_"The difference is, dear brother, _I_ can handle him," Leia needled him, and it gladdened her heart when he laughed. "When do you leave for Myrkr?" she asked, changing the subject. _

_"Tomorrow." During his research quest Luke had discovered an empty spot in the Force in that quadrant of space, and was keen to investigate its source. _

_"I wish you were staying longer," Leia said wistfully, squeezing his hands. _

_Luke laughed. "You and Han won't want me around," he pointed out. "And I thought you were going to Naboo for your honeymoon?"_

_Leia smiled to herself. Ever since they had found out their mother, she and Luke had been researching her furiously. Palpatine had deleted some records, but they had been able to piece together information from various Senate recordings and historical documents. Palpatine's own rise to power as Chancellor during the Blockade of Naboo was well documented, but the Queen who'd instigated the vote of no-confidence in the previous Chancellor had only been a footnote. Still, they had been able to chart her rise as Senator and had even been able to find an old holoreport regarding her funeral. It was a Naboo publication, and very informative and complimentary to the late Padmé, even going so far as to hint that her death was orchestrated by Palpatine. As to that, Luke and Leia could only speculate. _

_Luke had told her that he'd seen but not spoken to the ghosts of Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker during the Endor celebrations, but they hadn't appeared to him since. Leia was secretly glad, although it did mean they hadn't been able to confirm any of their suspicions. That was, until Han, who had been helping them with their investigations given that he had a wealth of contacts high and low, found a holo of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi from the Clone Wars. _

_Han had apologetically told them that it was a longshot and it could be any old astromech, but Luke had known at once that it was Artoo pictured beside his father. Leia had warned Luke not to get his hopes up, since not everyone was as adverse to giving droids memory wipes as he was, but when asked Artoo had been happy to divulge the information. Leia had been quite angry with the little droid, asking why he'd never revealed the truth before, and Artoo had become quite snippy and beeped that they'd never asked, that his mechanical brain held a thousand times the information their inferior organic ones did and he couldn't be expected to know what humans wanted to be told, since it was all ones and zeros to him. _

_After Luke had calmed the little droid down, Artoo had told them everything he _could_ remember, albeit from his own skewed perspective – the meeting of Anakin and Padmé on Tatooine, their courtship and secret marriage on Naboo, even Anakin's fall to the Dark Side, although the little droid only had scant information on those events. For Leia it had been a relief to hear that her mother had never condoned nor supported Anakin as Vader. At least she had one biological parent she could be proud of. _

_ "Hey," Luke prodded Leia out of her reverie. "You alright?"_

_It was a game that they played – each continuing to ask questions they could already feel the answers to. Their connection through the Force had strengthened and solidified, and there was no hiding emotions when in each other's presence. _

_"I'm fine," she answered. "No, I'm happy," she amended with a smile, her melancholy fading away. "Ecstatic."_

_The past didn't matter – what mattered was that she was going to marry the man she loved with every fibre of her being, and was in the company of the brother that was the other half of her soul. _

_"The Lake District will be beautiful this time of year." Luke smiled, her happiness infectious. "You will love it."_

_Leia knew that she would, although only as a link to her biological mother's childhood and not as the place where she'd married Anakin Skywalker. She could never think of Anakin as her father, even with the caveat of being her biological father, rather than her real father, Bail Organa. It had taken her this long to convince herself to refer to him as Anakin and not Vader, and Leia was unwilling to go any further than that. But Leia quickly pushed those thoughts away before Luke could pick up on them. _

_"But first I have to get married," she reminded him. "And we're running late," she added, checking the chrono on the wall. _

_"Ah." Luke broke away, and caught sight of the circlet on the nearby table. He picked it up and held it up towards her. "May I?" he asked, and Leia felt her heart constrict – Luke could not know the significance of the act that was intended to be performed by a bride's mother. _

_Leia ducked her head and allowed Luke to place the circlet on her crown, knowing that she would not have it any other way. She _did _have a family, and while she would never forget those lost to her, she would cherish those who were still in her life all the more. _

_Luke smiled, and she knew that he had felt her thoughts. "Shall we?" he asked, holding out the crook of his arm, which she took with affection. They walked together like that to her wedding, quietly laughing and talking, and later she would reflect that it was the happiest day of her life, after all. _

* * *

**29 NRE  
**

Han Solo tugged at his high-necked collar with discomfort. He hated wearing his full dress uniform with a passion that threatened to outweigh even his love for his wife. In the end, however, Leia always won out and he wore the damn thing because he knew it made her happy.

_Made her happy to know he was suffering_, he thought to himself with a chuckle. Han felt a sharp pain in his ankle and turned to his left, where his Jedi companion Yara Riu was glaring at him. It was the third time the young Twi'lek had kicked him that morning, and Han tried once again to focus on the meeting.

He'd been corralled into being the New Republic representative for peace talks on Corellia, since the system's planetary governments were once again at odds. The Selonians and the Drall both thought that the Corellians were given preferential treatment by the NR, and accused each other of political sabotage, the Corellians wanted sanctions against them both, while the dual-worlds Talus and Tralus threatened secession from the system altogether.

It was mostly bluff and bluster, in Han's opinion, but he'd been forced to listen to a week's worth of grievances and negotiations between the representatives of each world and the local NR governor. The Selonian was speaking again, but try as he might Han couldn't work up an interest in the dispute over preferential trade routes.

He turned to Yara again and rolled his eyes discreetly, so the beings across the table couldn't see. Yara clamped down on a smile and kicked him again, although softer this time. The young Twi'lek had only been a Jedi Knight for a year, and had been so excited not only to be going on her first solo mission but being permitted to accompany Han on the _Millennium Falcon_ for the journey. NR high command hated that he continued to use the ship for official purposes, particularly since he technically had his own Star Destroyer _Simple Tricks_, but Han was adamant. If he was sent anywhere he flew on the _Falcon_ or didn't go at all. Since the NR liked to trade on his infamy more than they hated the use of the old freighter, they permitted it.

"What do you think, General Solo?" The Selonian was asking him, clearly incensed over whatever her complaint had been.

Han ran a tired hand over his eyes. "I think I should have retired years ago."

"General Solo!" beside him the NR governor for the Corellian sector spluttered and fretted. "The New Republic has sent you to assist us in these matters, which are most serious."

Han didn't really think the matter was all that serious. He was sick of serving the New Republic, sick of being convinced that it was necessary for him to remain a figurehead of the government and military, sick of being carted around at functions and fundraisers. In the past year he'd spent more time away from Coruscant than on it, and couldn't even remember the last time he'd seen Chewie or Lando.

He missed his wife. He missed his daughter. He missed his brother and his niece and nephews. Hell, he even missed Threepio. And since that dark day had arrived, Han knew it was time to go home. It was either than, or go mad.

"Look, I'm no politician," he told the assembled group, not really caring how he got out of the situation. "They sent me here to listen to your stupid complaints so you would feel involved and important. I'm here to pacify you," he said truthfully. "I can't change anything – that's what you have senators for."

The assorted representative stared at him for several moments, and then all began talking very loudly at once. The NR governor had been stunned to silence. Oh, they would slap him over the wrist later on, and Leia would give him a lecture, but she'd be happy enough for him to be home that she wouldn't stay mad for too long. Leia mad was a thousand times better than no Leia at all.

Han was pretty pleased with himself, and turned to Yara to gauge her reaction, but the young Jedi looked extremely concerned – too concerned for it to be over his outburst.

"General Solo," she said urgently and rose from her seat. "I sense a disturbance." Her lightsaber was in her hand in an instant, and she glanced around the room.

Han knew better than to second-guess Jedi intuition. "Alright, I suggest we adjourn immediately," Han said, gesturing for the CorSec guards to escort the representatives from the room.

"We will not be dismissed that easily, General Solo," the Selonian replied hotly, pulling her arm away from the guard who was trying to herd her towards the door. But she was interrupted by an intense rumbling which shook the walls of the room. Han heard an explosion in the distance and fear clutched at him as the representatives began to scream.

"Get down!" Yara screamed as she slammed her body into Han's, sending them both sprawling to the floor. Another explosion had gone off, this time right above them, raining down duracrete and debris from the ceiling which partially collapsed. Han sat up as Yara leapt to her feet again to check on the representatives. Han swore as he saw a large chunk of duracrete lying exactly where he'd been standing three seconds previous.

"It's an attack!" the NR governor whimpered, curled up on the floor next to Han.

The Selonian bared her teeth at the Corellian. "This is you!" she accused. "Your damned Human League."

"They're not us!" The Corellian man snapped back. "They're a fringe group, not capable of this. And why would they blow up our own facilities? That's something you Selonians would do!"

"Who cares who's behind it?" Han shouted through gritted teeth. "Just get out of here! Seven Hells, CorSec, do your damn jobs!" He rose somewhat painfully to his feet and pushed away the Corsec guard who came to help him. "Just get them out of here," he ordered. He could start to smell burning, and wasn't sure how long the building was going to last.

The doors had been blocked, but Yara was busy cutting an exit with her lightsaber. Once they were out in the hallway, Han could see that the entire building had been hit with directed explosions. They were on the sixth floor, and smoke was quickly gathering around them.

"We have to get down before the whole thing collapses," Han said to Yara urgently, who nodded.

"The stairs will take too long," she replied, moving purposefully towards the transpirateel glass windows of the building. Most of them had shattered, and Yara quickly blunted the edges with the blade of her saber.

The Drall took their meaning immediately. "We cannot jump from this height!"

"I will guide you with the Force," Yara said calmly. "Now quickly."

The NR governor ran over to the window immediately and allowed Yara to nudge him out, extending her arm and reaching out with the Force so that he began to gently float down to the ground below, where rescue crew and survivors were already gathering. The rest of the representatives followed, and Han nudged the three CorSec officers to go as well. They were only kids who'd been stuck with what was considered a safe escort job, and Han could see the fear in their eyes.

Han heard another explosion go off overhead. "Hurry, Yara," he urged her.

Yara's brow was creased firmly, and it was clear she was struggling. "Go now, General Solo," she urged however. Han looked down and saw that three of their party was already safely on the ground. The others, however, were still drifting slowly down and Han wasn't sure Yara had the concentration for another.

"Yara-"

But the Twi'lek gave him a forceful push in the back and Han tumbled for a half-second before he was caught by an invisible hand which began to lower him gently. He twisted in the air and saw that the damage to the building was extensive – it was no mere accident, but a coordinated attack. Yet another bomb detonated near where Yara was standing, and Han knew that it would engulf the young Jedi within seconds.

"Yara!" he yelled to her urgently. "Just jump! Now!"

Suddenly the secure hand that held him in the air disappeared and Han plummeted the final ten meters to the ground. He landed painfully and heard the sickening crack of bone as shafts of intense pain ran up his left leg. He collapsed backwards onto the duracrete and everything went black.

* * *

Ben Skywalker walked through the New Quarter of Mos Eisley, occasionally reaching out through the Force for any clues which may give him more information about the disturbing presence he'd felt out in the Dune Sea. The marketplace bustled with hundreds of life forms, and although Ben had grown up on Coruscant and so was used to large crowds, the atmosphere on Tatooine was surprising different.

Ben had specifically asked his father for the mission, anxious to see the world again. His father had brought him once, when Ben was a teenager, but the planet seemed to make him sad. He had only taken the young Ben to his former home for a few minutes and given him a cursory tour. His Aunt and Uncle had died in that home of course, and Ben understood that the place brought up painful memories for his father. But Ben was keen to explore his family history; to try and reconcile the image of his strong, capable father he'd held since birth with that of the fresh-faced child.

Ben had sat for hours in the bedroom his father had occupied for eighteen years. It was strangely untouched, only the dust accumulated on every surface indicating that its inhabitant had left one day to go search for a missing droid and never returned. The room was sparse and utterly ordinary, nothing to indicate that the boy who'd once slept there would grow up to the galaxy's greatest hero. Locals claimed the homestead was haunted, and indeed Ben had felt the ghosts of the past.

Drawing his mind back to the markets, Ben found himself accosted by a female Toydarian, intent on selling him some locally-made jewellery.

"Something nice for a lady friend, hmm?" she urged him, poking Ben in the ribs. Ben grimaced, forcing his mind away from the woman he _might_ have once bought such a trinket for.

"Oh, so you are a lonely boy, huh?" the Toydarian sounded almost sympathetic. "Shame, handsome thing like you. You want fine dagger, huh? Hand carved Bantha bone. Only ten credits!"

"She's trying to cheat you," a voice spoke up from the other side of the market, and Ben turned to see a young man approach. "That thing's not worth half as much." He was perhaps a few years older than Ben, pale-skinned, with dark hair that fell to his shoulders and was tucked neatly behind slightly prominent ears. He was dressed in the sandy, coarse robes of a local.

"Thanks." Ben had felt the old woman's deception, of course, but always appreciated the assistance of others.

"You not gonna buy?" The Toydarian's tone turned sharp. "Then go!" she shooed them away and flapped her wings angrily.

Ben ambled between the stalls and smiled at his new companion. "What's your name, friend?"

The other man hesitated, perhaps pondering whether he should tell the truth. People were slow to trust around here, Ben had noticed. "Fin," the other man said eventually. "Fin Delrond."

Ben stuck out his hand. "Ben Skywalker."

Fin took it gingerly, but his handshake was firm. Ben reached out through the Force to see if there was anything sinister about the man's reluctance, but could not feel any ill-will or Force sensitivity in him.

"Skywalker," Fin looked him up and down. "That's a pretty famous name around these parts."

"Yeah," Ben nodded. "Luke Skywalker is my father."

Fin shrugged and didn't seem too affected by the information, which Ben found curious but not uncommon based on the past few weeks. On most other planets in the galaxy people were excited not only to meet a Jedi, but the son of Luke Skywalker. Everywhere, it seemed, except on the planet where Luke Skywalker had been raised. He had met a few people who had even known his father, as well as his great-Aunt and Uncle; the old couple Camie and Fixer who ran the bar on Anchorhead, the Darklighters, even an elderly Twi'lek who'd claimed to have been a dancer at Jabba's Palace and not only seen his father fight the rancor, but had met his mother who'd been undercover at the time.

And yet most others seemed indifferent to Tatooine's most famous son. They liked their anonymity.

Fin eyed him shrewdly. "You don't look much like him," he observed. "You're taller."

Ben laughed politely. "Yeah, people say I look more like my mother," he replied lightly. "It's the hair," he pointed to his head. It was something people always pointed out, as if Ben had somehow missed that his own hair was flaming red just like his mother's. In truth, he thought he was starting to look more like his father as he grew older, and was slightly stung to hear it refuted.

"So why're you here then?" Fin asked conversationally. "Family reunion?"

Ben wasn't about to let slip his mission to any locals. "Something like that."

"Ben!" he heard his name called, and turned to see Eren Pax walking towards him purposefully. "Have you found anything?" she asked as she approached. "Or are you just shopping?"

Ben shook his head and turned around to introduce Eren to Fin, but found that the other man had disappeared. It wasn't unusual – Eren was wearing her Jedi robes which could spook some people, particularly if they were involved in potentially criminal dealings. Which most citizen of Mos Eisley were. Ben dismissed it as unimportant and focused is attention on his former master.

"You've got me," Ben joked. "I was buying you a present, Eren. I was planning on declaring my undying love for you tonight."

Eren rolled her eyes and walked away.

"But now you've spoiled it," Ben continued as he followed her. "You'll never hear the beautiful poem I wrote for you."

"My loss, I'm sure," Eren shot back sarcastically.

Eren had been one of his mother's apprentices when Ben was growing up, so they had always had a close relationship. Sometimes, when she particularly wanted to annoy him, Eren would tell stories about his mother bringing him, a mere child of four, to the Jedi Academy when Eren was still a student. Evidently the students had been all too happy to watch him while Mara visited his father in his private study at the Temple. Such visits, Eren liked to tease him, had often taken several hours, a taunt which always made Ben go as red as his hair. Eren would then comment that it was no wonder Micah had been born some months later, and then laugh at the irony that in all likelihood his little brother had been conceived in the Jedi Temple and yet did not want to be a Jedi.

It was then that Ben would challenge her to a lightsaber duel and she would chastise him for being too easily provoked. But she always fought him anyway, and he wondered whether she brought the topic up whenever she wanted him to practice his dueling skills.

Her Utapaun ancestry made her a very calm, well-reasoned woman, but she had a quick wit and appreciation for Ben's own dry humor. Although he'd been a Jedi for five years, he often went on missions with his former master as they worked so well together.

"Seriously, BEn," Eren asked as they walked back to their rented speeder. "Find anything?"

Ben thought back to Fin, and the way he had disappeared into the crowd when Eren had approached. Whilst Ben had not sensed the Force in him, he felt that their meeting had not been an accident. If there was one thing history had taught him, it was that very little happened by accident.

* * *

When Fin returned to the Kenobi home it was past dark, and he found his father waiting for him with a sour expression. Although Fin was close to thirty standard years old, his father was still protective of him. Svel Delrond had once been an Imperial Officer on the Emperor's private Star Destroyer, and had been trained by the Emperor in the dark arts. Palpatine refused to make Svel his apprentice, as the Rule of Two was absolute, but after the Emperor's death Svel had continued his own training and passing that knowledge onto Fin as he had grown. As such, he was unable to hide anything.

"You sought out the boy," Svel stated. It was not a question.

"Don't worry Father," Fin reassured him. "I used the serum."

"It was still foolish," Svel shook his head. "We haven't tested the serum yet, you weren't sure it was going to work."

"Well it did," Fin told him. "It's worn off now." Fin had felt the Force return to him like on old friend on the journey back to the Kenobi home, and he'd accepted it gratefully. He hadn't wanted to block his Force abilities even for an afternoon, but he couldn't risk Skywalker sensing them. And he'd needed to see Skywalker face to face, needed to see the Jedi heir and know that one day, Fin would destroy him.

He would destroy them all.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: 1 NRE = 1 New Republic Era (2 years after ROTJ)**

* * *

**_1 NRE_**

_Everything hurt. That was Luke's first thought as he pulled himself into consciousness, his limbs aching and a severe pounding in his head. With great difficulty he opened his heavy eyes to a dim and unremarkable room. _

_He remembered coming out of hyperspace above the planet Myrkr. He'd been intrigued by the world for some time, ever since he'd passed by it on a hyperspace jump and felt a disturbance in the Force. Not one that he had felt before, conveying darkness or death – it had been the absence of the Force on the planet. He didn't want to blunder into a dangerous situation where there was a potential block to his Jedi powers, so had waited to make the trip. _

_It was a forest world with few human settlements, but Luke hadn't been able find much more information on the New Republic database. He'd been in contact with Lando Calrissian, who had told him that a particularly clever smuggler named Talon Karrde was known to have a base there. _

_Luke had surveyed the planet's surface from his X-Wing and identified a group of strongly fortified buildings at the base of the forest he assumed to be garrisoned by Karrde and his operatives. The smuggler would probably be happy to share information with Luke –for a price. Preferring information of the free kind and choosing first to rely on his own investigational skills, Luke had headed towards the largest settlement, Hyllyard City. _

_But then his memory got fuzzy. First he'd felt the Force slip away from him, and then his instruments had failed. His X-Wing had plummeted towards the forest, and the last thing he heard was Artoo's frantic wailing as everything went dark. _

_But someone must have found him. Probably, Luke considered, whoever had shot him down. _  
_"So, you're awake." A crisp female voice cut through his thoughts, and Luke turned his head to see a young woman seated in the room's only chair. Even in the dim light he could see that she was about his own age, with alabaster skin and flaming red hair. She looked at him with sharp green eyes that seemed even more deadly than the blaster she had pointed at him._

_Gingerly, Luke sat up and swung his legs over the sleeping pallet. The woman seemed a bit jumpy, and brandished her blaster at him. _

_"Don't try anything, Skywalker," she said dangerously. Luke noticed that she spoke with a somewhat tempered Coruscanti accent – unusual for a smuggler - and filed the information away. He also knew that feigning naiveté often disarmed those intent on killing him and put his head in his hands, as if he was in pain. It was only half for her benefit._

_"I don't know where I am, my head is killing me and there's a blaster pointed at my chest," Luke said genially and looked back up at the woman before him with what he hoped was a disarming smile. "What do you think I'm going to try?" _

_The woman smirked at him. "Not to mention that you can't use the Force."_

_Luke grimaced. That was the first thing he'd felt, but had hoped to bluff his way around the situation until he knew what was causing the block. _

_"And why is that?" he asked, opting for the direct approach._

_"So the Jedi is not all-knowing," she said and appraised him slowly, her gaze dropping to his boots and then moved slowly back up to his face as if assessing him for possible weaknesses. "You're shorter than I expected."_

_Luke shrugged. "I get that a lot," he admitted. "Guess everyone looks bigger on the holonet, huh?"_

_But the woman refused to be drawn into conversation and went back to staring at him with barely-concealed abhorrence. _

_"So I'm assuming I'm presently the guest of Talon Karrde," Luke tried again, since it was the most logical assumption. "What have I done to him to deserve such fine treatment?" Briefly, his thoughts turned to Artoo, and hoped that the little droid was okay. _

_"I'm not here to supply you with information, Jedi," she almost spat at him. _

_"I'm not permitted to know the name of my jailor?" he asked with a smile. It was not returned. "You know who I am," he pointed out, growing uneasy about her recalcitrance._

_She gave him a long look, and Luke saw nothing but hatred in her eyes. "I'm Mara Jade," she told him finally, fingering the handle of her blaster. Then she visibly steeled herself, leaning forward on her chair as if in anticipation. "I'm also the woman who is going to kill you."_

**_**

* * *

**29 NRE**

Micah Skywalker walked swiftly through the entrance of the Cracken-Madine Intelligence Centre, headquarters of New Republic Intelligence. The complex was massive, over a hundred stories high and taking up an entire city block. It had been practically home for Micah for three years, and he knew his way around, nodding occasionally to people he knew. However today he was headed towards the military wing of the complex, which he was not as familiar with as the Intelligence wing.

An insistent buzzing sounded from his pocket, and Micah withdrew the device and looked at the call ID. He switched it on, knowing that only one person would contact him on that frequency.

"Hey, Shada," he answered, keeping his pace down the gleaming corridors.

"Micah." The low, even voice of Shada D'ukal flowed through the commlink. "Had enough of a vacation?"

"I wouldn't exactly call one day a vacation," Micah commented.

"Well, you'll have to now," Shada told him with businesslike efficiency. "Karrde needs you back on Rodan."

"Right now?"

"Unless you have any other pressing engagements," Shada responded dryly.

"Well, actually…my father asked me to take care of something," Micah explained. "He left this morning and didn't get time."

"Well, as soon as you've finished that, then." Shada was Karrde's second in command, and an order from her carried as much weight as one from the man himself.

Still, Micah was reluctant to leave his mother so soon. He'd gone to the family apartment after leaving the spaceport, but found his mother had locked herself in her room and no amount of banging on the door had forced her to emerge.

"If you're worried about your mother, tell her to comm me," Shada said, guessing the reason for his hesitation.

Micah managed to smile. "If she's going to be mad about it, I'd be worrying about you, not her."

"Hmmph." He could almost hear Shada's smile through the comm. "You should know I taught her half of her moves."

"Yeah, but Dad taught her the other half," Micah grinned. "My credits are still on her." He cleared his throat. "Don't call her," he added seriously. "I'll be back on Rodan tomorrow."

"Copy that," Shada acknowledged and hung up.

Micah pocketed the comm just as he walked through the entrance to the East Wing of the complex and approached the reception desk.

"Hi." Micah greeted the young female Togruta seated there with a charming smile, leaning against the desk casually. "I'd like to see Admiral Antilles, please."

The young woman gave him an _are-you-kidding-me_ stare. "The Admiral isn't available."

"No, it's alright, I know him," Micah said smoothly, forgetting that he wasn't as well known by the military staff. "I'm-"

"Micah Skywalker," a clear female voice cut him off, and Micah looked up to see a woman only a few years older than himself striding down the corridor. She was wearing a stylishly-cut New Republic uniform adorned with the insignia of both NRI and Rogue Squadron. Her shoulder-length blonde hair bounced slightly as she walked and when she stopped at the desk she gave him a wry smile. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Hey, Syal," Micah greeted her, straightening to his full height, confidence flagging slightly. "Didn't know you were back on Coruscant." Last he'd heard Syal Antilles was undercover on Dantooine. And working for Karrde usually meant access to the best information in the business – she must have returned very recently.

Syal tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "I go where I have to."

Things weren't exactly friendly between the two of them. Syal had been his close friend and mentor when he'd joined New Republic Intelligence, and had taken it personally when Micah had decided to leave eighteen months earlier for Karrde's organisation. And after what had happened between her and Ben…

Micah wasn't his brother's biggest fan – most of the time he thought Ben was a stuck-up prat. It wasn't easy to live in the shadow of Ben Skywalker; first of the new generation of Jedi, heir presumptive to running the Order and all-around perfection-in-boots. But he was still family, and he didn't like to see any of his family hurt.

Ben and Syal had grown up together, the first two children born to the heroes of the Rebellion. And as it so often does, childhood friendship turned to adolescent experimentation, which soon turned to love. That was, until about a year ago. Micah didn't know exactly what had happened between Syal and his brother, but it had been ugly.

"I thought you'd be with your family today, Micah," Syal told him. "I heard your father was back."

"He was," Micah confirmed. "Left again this morning."

"Such is life," Syal said with a shrug. "So how _is _the family?" she asked with feigned nonchalance.

"How's Ben you mean?" Micah asked, giving her a knowing look and then sighing heavily. "I really wouldn't know, I haven't seen him in months," he said to Syal's obvious disappointment. "I'm sure he's fine – he always is."

Syal bit her lip and looked as if she was about to ask follow up questions, but Micah certainly didn't want to get drawn into _that_ black hole. "How's the Admiral?" he asked to divert the topic. Even though he'd known Uncle Wedge since he was a boy, everyone called him "The Admiral," if only because he hated the nickname so much.

Syal smiled. "He's good," she told him. "He'll be sorry he missed Uncle Luke, though."

"Well, you know," Micah shrugged. "Jedi business trumps everything else," he added somewhat bitterly.

"You don't have to tell me that," Syal added with a sudden edge to her voice.

Micah glanced back at the receptionist, who was listening to their conversation intently. He turned away from the desk and lowered his voice. "Dad asked me to look into those pirates he shot down," he explained, changing the subject. "Since he couldn't do it himself."

"I was just going to talk to them myself, actually," Syal said, brightening as she took a datapad the receptionist offered her. "You can tag along, if you like."

"Thanks," he said with genuine gratitude as he followed her down the hallway. She could have refused him, could have said he'd chosen the private sector and so no longer had any standing to interrogate NR prisoners, but had instead shown him generosity. It was her way – quick to anger, but also quick to forgive. Except, Micah mused, when it came to his brother.

They soon reached the detention blocks, and Syal lead him to an interrogation cell, where the two detainees were waiting behind two-way transparisteel. The boy was fair skinned with close-cropped brown hair, while the girl was dark with wild black hair. Both were humanoid, but had markings and protruding bones on their faces and arms which identified them as Freesi. Neither looked older than eighteen.

"They're just kids!" Micah exclaimed.

Syal smirked at him. "Because you're so ancient."

Micah glowered at her as he pushed through the door to the interview room, Syal following swiftly behind. The two young prisoners looked up and gave them identical blank looks.

"I'm Commander Antilles," Syal told them brusquely and sat down at the table across from them. "This is Lieutenant Skywalker." Syal glanced at him, belatedly realizing that she had referred to him by his military rank, rather than as the more appropriate title of 'Citizen'. Micah ignored the slip, leaning back casually against the wall and throwing them a lazy salute.

"What are your names?" Syal asked, turning back to the pair.

"We don't talk to the fuzz," the boy said petulantly.

"So you told the guards, and we've all very impressed by your fortitude," Syal said disdainfully, studying the file on her datapad before looking back up at them. "I'm going to keep asking, so you might as well tell us."

The pair were silent for a few moments, but Syal held her gaze. Micah had been on the receiving end of that stare several times and knew how disconcerting it could be. Finally, the girl shrugged. "I'm Toula."

The boy grunted. "Whit."

Micah raised his eyebrows. "Whit?" The boy grunted again, and Micah chuckled. "It's apt," he said sarcastically.

"What were you trying to do yesterday, Toula?" Syal asked, wisely focusing her attention on the girl. "Surely you must have known you would never get through."

Toula looked up, and there was defiance in her eyes. "We did what she told us to do."

"Who's _she_?" Syal pressed, but Toula shook her head. "Whoever she is, she set you up to get caught. You accomplished nothing."

"Says you," Whit spat at them.

Micah reached out through the Force to see if he could detect their motives. Although he did not want to be a Jedi, he appreciated that the Force was a tool he could draw on, just as he could his intellect or strength or blaster. He could feel that the girl was calm and confident, but that the boy was agitated and tense. Micah honed in to try and identify the reason, other than being interrogated of course, and noticed that the boy kept scratching a red spot on his arm.

"Did you hurt yourself?" Micah asked out of suspicion rather than concern. Whit's gaze flicked up, and immediately Micah's danger sense flared. But before he could react, Toula launched herself across the table at Syal, and the two women tumbled to the floor. Micah reached out through the Force to halt Whit's actions, but it was too late. Blood blossomed under his nails as Whit located his quarry – a small metallic disc, which he pressed together between a thumb and forefinger and disappeared into thin air.

Syal and Toula tussled on the floor, and Micah went to help her, pulling the younger woman to her feet. But Toula twisted in his arms and punched him in the stomach, the extra bones in her hand connecting painfully with his flesh and knocking him back.

The general alert overhead sounded, and Syal was on her feet, locking Toula in her grip. "Go," she grunted. "The other one could be out there."

Micah nodded and ran out of the interrogation room, yelling at the guards outside to go in and assist Syal. When he reached the command centre of the detention block, Micah saw that Whit had attacked the computer database. He had acquired a blaster and was currently shooting at the officers and guards trying to apprehend him. The trouble was, the kid was agile, bouncing around the room, balancing on the consoles, leaping between railings and generally making himself a difficult target. Whenever one of the guards tried to tackle him, he pressed the metal disc again and disappeared, re-appearing in a different spot in the room.

"He's got a teleporter!" Micah yelled to the others, drawing his own blaster and firing. It missed Whit by centimeters as he jumped out of the way and back to the computer console, waving his free hand over the system. The Freesi were skilled at mechanical manipulation, and knew he couldn't let the boy do whatever he had obviously let himself be captured to do. Calling upon his connection to the Force, Micah raised his blaster and fired.

This time the shot connected, burning into Whit's forearm and causing the boy to tumble backwards to the floor. Micah quickly aimed for the other hand which held the teleporter, but was a split-second too late as Whit disappeared into thin air. The NR officers rushed back to the console to check the damage when an ear-spitting mechanical wail resounded through the room.

"Syal," Micah breathed, and ran back down the corridor to the interrogation room. But he was too late again, and only saw Syal and four other guards on the floor holding their heads. "Are you alright?" Micah asked, kneeling down and taking Syal by the shoulder.

"Fine," Syal brushed him off and shook her head. "Some kind of noise blast – knocked us out."

Micah looked around the room – there was no sign on the pirate pair. He also noticed that Syal's datapad was missing, and ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

"Shavit."

**_**

* * *

The office of the Chancellor of the New Republic was not as grand as it had been in the days of the Old. When Mon Mothma had been elected as the first NR Chancellor, she had consented to use the suite in the historic Executive Building, but had replaced the garish sculptures and furnishings with a simpler and more elegant design. When Leia had been elected she had conceptually followed her predecessor, although replacing the gleaming white colour scheme with Alderaanian blues and hanging a large painting of the twin suns of Tatooine, a gift from Luke, on the wall.

For Leia it was a pleasant and comforting place to work, unless of course she was being visited by the Senator for Kuat, Trax Avarice. Thirty years her senior, he had been a force to be reckoned with in the Old Senate, and Leia had engaged in vigorous debates with him when she was still a teenager. Back then, she had hidden her fear with false bravado, but now she had no reason to feign a cool demeanor.

"I am to understand that your brother, Jedi Master Skywalker, has returned to Coruscant," Avarice was saying.

"Returned, and left again," Leia told him, careful not to betray her sorrow that his visit had been so short.

"Oh?" Avarice smiled, and Leia did not believe for a moment the information was new to him. "Is there some kind of emergency?"

"Senator Avarice, you well know I will not discuss anything my brother has told me in confidence," Leia told him sharply.

"Even if that information is of relevance to the Republic?" Avarice pressed, leaning forward slightly in his chair.

"If it is, I am sure the Jedi will report it to the Senate officially," Leia continued dismissively. "As Chancellor I cannot subvert official processes."

"Madame, you are also a Jedi," Avarice pointed out.

"Yes, I am a Jedi," Leia responded coolly, her hand automatically resting on the hilt of the lightsaber which always hung at her waist. "I also have a doctorate in Alderaanian history and am a qualified hyperdrive mechanic, but I fail to see the relevance."

"Your other qualifications do not impact your judgment." Avarice frowned, the folds of his wrinkled face twisting around his mouth.

"Nor does my status as a Jedi," Leia responded, carefully keeping her tone even. "In my opinion, Senator Avarice, the more qualifications and experience one has the better their judgment is. It grants perspective."

Avarice looked as if he was about to argue, but Leia waved a dismissive hand. "Thank you for coming to see me, and your concern is noted," she told him. "Zeb will see you out."

The young man rose from his own desk at the side of the room and ushered Avarice out quickly. The old man went, clearly displeased, and Zeb closed the doors behind him. Then Zeb turned back to Leia with a grin, wiping his hands together in a good-riddance gesture.

Leia smiled at Zeb fondly. In some ways he was so different from the angry, lonely boy she'd met five years previous, but his spirit was still the same.

She couldn't remember why she'd been on the lower levels that day – perhaps it had been the will of the Force. Zeb had been fourteen, but had already experienced a lifetime of pain; the loss of his parents at the age of three, raised by the local gangs and living on the streets. He'd shoved a blaster in her face and pushed her into an alleyway, not that anyone would have come to her rescue on the street. Leia remembered the desperation in his dark eyes; had looked into his heart and saw a kindred spirit. She knew was it was like to lose everything.

Leia could have disarmed him in a second with the Force, but instead gave him a choice. He could have everything of value she had on her, except her wedding ring and the necklace she wore around her neck. Or he could come with her for the promise of nothing but a chance – the hope of a better life.

She took him home with her and Zeb had been seamlessly enfolded into their lives. Han had given the boy a quick-once over, and then began to playfully argue with him about his choice of blaster. Jaina was the same age and delighted to have a new friend. Luke and his family had come over for dinner that night, and her brother only mentioned that he had felt Leia's happiness and was pleased to discover its source. Ben and Micah had quickly taken to Zeb, and Cilla began to pester him about life on the lower-levels with the fasciation that only a nine year old could possess.

However, Han had put his foot down about Zeb living with them – he didn't want any boy sleeping three doors down from his teenage daughter. Zeb himself had indicated that he'd been living on his own for years anyway, and didn't particularly want to be in a house full of people. Leia had asked her brother to find him lodgings at the Jedi Academy, which was easily done, since many offworld student boarded there already. Zeb began to attend the standard lessons with Jaina at the Academy, and visited Leia at the Senate chambers when the students were in Jedi classes.

Leia had quickly discovered his keen mind and talent for politics, and had quickly made him her assistant, mentoring him in the way Mon Mothma had once done for her. She had plans on making him Senator for Coruscant within a few years, well on track to being Chancellor himself one day.

"Well, Zeb, I think that's enough politics for one day." Leia told him, glancing at her calendar and seeing that for once she had a free evening.

"One hour with Avarice is enough politics for a lifetime," Zeb said, collapsing into a chair. "What a wanker."

Leia laughed. "Well why don't you comm Jaina and ask her to meet us, maybe we can grab an early dinner." She knew Jaina would be training on her own today, as she had felt Mara's unpleasant mood through the Force. Leia was almost as attuned to Mara's emotions as she was to Luke's, and knew that sometimes she fell back into her isolationist ways. But when they'd been barely friends Mara had helped Leia through one of the worst periods of her life, and that tended to bond people together. She'd also been Leia's family for 26 years, that connection strengthening into one of the most fulfilling friendships of both women's lives. So she knew that tonight Mara would need to be alone with her sorrow, and tomorrow, she would need Leia's support.

Zeb was just getting out his comm unit when the personal unit on Leia's desk buzzed. She checked the caller ID and saw that it was a direct line from the NR Fleet, and quickly answered.

"Chancellor Organa Solo."

"Madame Chancellor," a male voice came over the comm. "This is Commander Ravin of the New Republic Star Destroyer _Simple Tricks_."

One of Han's ships, Leia thought as her heart tightened. "What is it Commander?"

"There has been an incident on Corellia, Ma'am," Ravin continued. "An attack on the Capital building."

"Han?" Leia asked, the pressure on her heart increasing. Zeb stood in shock, looking worried.

"He's alright, Ma'am," Ravin confirmed. "He's in surgery now, but they think it's just a broken leg. As soon as he's ready to travel we'll be heading back to Coruscant."

"Any casualties?" she asked, treacherous relief flooding her.

"Unknown at this time Ma'am, but likely. General Solo's Jedi escort was badly injured."

"Has anyone claimed responsibility?" she asked.

"No."

Leia was silent, a million thoughts running through her head. It could be as simple as a pirate attack, or something far more sinister – with the disturbance in the Force Luke had the Jedi investigating Leia's credits was on the latter.

"We'll return immediately with General Solo," Revin continued. "The _Nonsense_ will stay in orbit above Corellia to monitor the situation."

"I will have Admiral Antilles send reinforcements and medical personnel," Leia promised, and couldn't even feel her usual mirth when hearing the name of Han's second personal Star Destroyer. The names for Han's ships had been Luke's suggestion in jest, but Han had seized on the idea. He'd never wanted the ships anyway and took much pleasure in their ridiculous titles.

"Thank you, Ma'am," Revin said with relief, and Leia ended the call, leaning forward on the desk and pinching the bridge of her nose. She was no stranger to bad news, but that didn't mean she ever got used to it.

"I'll call the Admiral," Zeb said gently and Leia nodded, straightening in her chair again. But before he could move back to the comm unit the doors to Leia's office opened again and Micah strode in – one of the only people who could confuse Threepio into letting them pass without being announced.

"Hey, Aunt Leia," he greeted her. "Zeb," Micah gave him a friendly punch in the arm and sank down into an armchair. "Well have _I_ had a day."

Leia and Zeb shared a look before she told him briefly about the situation he'd interrupted, and Micah's irreverent façade slipped away. Not as well trained to control his emotions as his brother, Micah's distress felt jagged and sharp against Leia's Force sense - he'd always had a close relationship with Han.

Leia pressed him to continue with his own news, and her mood plummeted even further hearing about the situation at NRI headquarters. It hardly seemed to be a coincidence.

"They found some spyware loaded onto the NRI database, and managed to delete it," Micah explained, still glum. "But there was information on that datapad that could be damaging, if they crack the codes."

"Well, looks like I'm going to be here late tonight," Leia sighed, already working out the calls she'd have to make in her mind. "You go out though, Zeb."

"No, I need to stay and help you," the young man insisted.

"Go, that's an order," Leia told him sharply. "Take Jaina out and try to cheer her up. Micah, why don't you go too?"

"Can't," Micah said regretfully. "Karrde needs me back on Rodan."

Leia didn't like to have so much of her family away from Coruscant at once. But duty came first, she of all people understood that.

"I've told Syal I'll see what I can find out through Karrde's contacts," Micah continued. "I'll do the same for the situation on Corellia," he promised.

"Thank you, Micah." Leia rose and beckoned her young nephew towards her, folding him into a tight embrace. She had to remind herself that when she was his age she'd been helping run the Rebellion on Hoth; when she was Jaina's age she'd already been captured by the Empire and had seen her planet be blown to bits; when she was Ben's age she'd been married. Even Cilla – sweet, exuberant Cilla – Leia had already been in the Imperial Senate at fourteen. She looked at the hardships of her own life that forced her to grow up all too soon and desperately wanted to avoid that for her daughter, niece and nephews. She, Luke and Han had worked so hard to build a world of peace for their children, where they knew love, family and prosperity.

She wouldn't let anyone take that victory away from her.


	6. Chapter 6

**_1 NRE_**

_Mara Jade walked swiftly through the hallways of the Myrkr smuggling base, telling herself that her pace was because Karrde had summonded her, not because she wanted to put as much distance as possible between her and Skywalker. _

_Two years she had spent hating him. Two years she had been living with her failure. Two years of watching his every move on the holonews, every one of his victories a bitter twist in her heart. And now he had fallen quite by accident into her lap, and she couldn't even do anything about it. At least not until she could talk some sense into Karrde. _

_Despite herself, Skywalker had unnerved her. Mara had expected arrogance and conceit – he was a Jedi after all. And yet he had seemed quite…normal. More a farmboy in appearance and demeanor than the terrorist she had expected. It had caught her offguard, which had likely been his intention. Mara berated herself for slipping. She never should have told Skywalker she was going to kill him, but her pride and anticipation had gotten the best of her. Now he would be expecting her attack, when it came. _

_But Mara shook those thoughts off, squared her shoulders and walked into Talon Karrde's office without knocking. Karrde sat behind the ornate desk, shifting through flimsiplasts. He was perhaps ten years Mara's senior, with brown skin that had seen many summers on the homeworld he refused to disclose, and deep-set, dark eyes watched everything and everyone. When he saw her enter Karrde looked up and beckoned her to take a seat._

_"Is Skywalker secure?" he asked conversationally. _

_"As you requested," she answered as she sat down and crossed one leg over the other, trying to appear nonchalant. "Now we need to decide what to do with him."_

_The corner of Karde's mouth quirked into a smile at her use of "we." She was his second in command, but Mara knew ultimately the decision would rest with him, and she respected that. It was how she'd been raised, to follow a clear chain of command without question. _

_"He's a hero of the New Republic," Talon stroked his chin thoughtfully. "They are the obvious choice for ransom. We could contact them."_

_"And make yourself and this organization known to them," Mara pointed out. "Better to deal with someone like the Hutts, they won't ask questions and they won't come after us later." There had been a price on Skywalker's head ever since his destruction of Jabba on Tatooine; the Hutts bitter about their fallen brother. Mara had even considered offering her services as a bounty hunter to them, but had been waylaid by her duties to Karrde's organization. _

_The man himself regarded her for several moments, the ghost of a smile on his face. "And your counsel, Mara, has nothing to do with the fact that the New Republic will want him alive?" he queried. "Whereas the Hutts would be quite happy and pay us just as much if we delivered Skywalker's corpse?"_

_Mara raised her chin. "I don't know what you're talking about, Karrde."_

_"Of course not, my dear," Karrde said, although his tone indicated his opinion was otherwise. "I have ordered that Skywalker remain safe and well cared for until I decide what to do with him," he continued, his penetrating gaze on her again, but she held firm. "And I know you follow orders, Mara," he added smoothly. "I just ask that, for now, my orders take precedence over any…others that you may feel are unfulfilled."_

_His words struck her with cold dread as she took his meaning. Mara thought she had been so clever destroying all record of her origins and life before the death of the Emperor, but Karrde had been more diligent and resourceful than she'd given him credit for. _

_"You know about that?" she asked anyway. _

_"I've always known, Mara." Karrde was inscrutable. _

_Mara furrowed her brow, unsure of what to do with the knowledge. "And you let me in there alone with him?" she queried. "How did you know I wouldn't just do it?"_

_"I didn't," Karrde answered simply. "I trusted you."_

_Mara looked away. The last man to trust her had been the Emperor, and she had failed him. And now she had a choice – avenge her former master, the only person who had ever meant anything to her, and kill Skywalker as he had ordered. Or follow Karrde, whom she genuinely liked and respected and had given her a fresh start despite knowing her origins._

_For perhaps the first time in her life, Mara Jade wasn't sure what to do. _

* * *

_Leia Organa Solo stood on the balcony of the Varykino villa on Naboo, looking out over the beautiful vista of lochs and mountains. Warm orange light from the rising sun rippled against the gentle waters of the lake surrounding the island, and in the distance she could hear the calls of water gulls in their nests. _

_Naboo reminded Leia a great deal of Alderaan – the majestic peaks and swirling seas of her homeworld long lost to her. And yet her sadness was countered with a new happiness to see the home of her biological mother, Padmé Amidala, and to know that the world Leia had been raised on resembled it so closely. That, in turn, made her feel closer to Padmé. Briefly, Leia had wondered whether, if her mother had survived childbirth, Padmé would have raised her and Luke here on Naboo, perhaps in the very Lake House she and Han now shared. There was an intense and bitter longing in Leia's heart for that, to know the woman who had given birth to her, to have grown up beside Luke having always shared the deep connection which gave her such fulfillment. _

_The connection which she no longer felt. _

_"Morning, sweetheart." Han appeared and wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. Leia leaned back into his chest and closed her eyes, taking his strength for her own and telling herself she was worrying over nothing. "Something wrong?" Han asked, sensing her discontent. _

_"It's Luke," Leia told him. She'd felt it since the previous day, a loss of contact with her brother. It had been a sharp, intense pain, as if half of her heart had been ripped away. The sting had slowly reduced to a dull ache which refused to go away. _

_"What?" Han asked worriedly. "Is he hurt?"_

_"I don't know," Leia answered truthfully. "I still can't feel him at all."_

_"That damn kid," Han growled. "I _told_ him to take backup to that stupid planet."_

_"It could be nothing," Leia reasoned. "He told me this might happen. I just didn't expect it to feel like this." It was true their bond in the Force had strengthened with the knowledge that they were twins, but Leia didn't remember ever feeling so devoid. The bond had always been there, even before they met. It had never broken before. _

_Han tightened his grip around her and Leia accepted his comfort gratefully. _

_"I just thought he would have contacted me by now," Leia added. "To let me know he was okay."_

_"He would've," Han agreed and kissed her hair again. "I'll comm Wedge, get him to send a squad to check on him." He slipped away and went over to the comm station, and Leia was flooded with relief and love for her new husband. Han would never dismiss her concerns, or complain about their honeymoon being interrupted. He simply acted._

_Leia turned back to the view over the lake, and although the emptiness in her heart was still there, her worry was alleviated. Her thoughts returned to her dream of a childhood with Luke and Padmé; of swimming in the lake, of days spent in the sand of the beach making castles, of visiting family in Theed and making friends with the local Gungan children. Of her and Luke whispering secrets to each other in the night, teasing and poking each other through the Force while their mother scolded them playfully. _

_And yet, Leia knew those thoughts were treacherous, because her life may have turned out very differently. She would never have known Bail and Breha Organa, or perhaps only know them indifferently as her mother's friends. She may never have met Han, and that would be a loss she would not bear. _

_It was enough, Leia decided, to be here now. To know Naboo and meet her mother's family. To spend time in the beautiful villa, and to dream of the day she and Han would bring their own children there to swim in the lake and play on the beach and know the life that she never had. _

* * *

**29 NRE**

Practice remotes hovered in the air around her. Although Jaina's eyes were closed, she could sense them – two in front of her and one to her left, which was her weak side. Jaina's hand hovered over her lightsaber, still clipped to her belt, her fingers twitching in anticipation.

When she'd been just a youngling Uncle Luke had taught her to reach out through the Force and sense when the remotes were about to fire. But while her Uncle relied on his instincts alone, Jaina was more practical, sharpening her focus and hearing to the internal mechanicals of the drone and the slight whir which indicated the shot a split-second before it was released.

Both of the remotes in front of her fired - Jaina opened her eyes, grasping and activating her saber instantly. The violet blade blurred in the air as she deflected each bolt in a flurry of movement. The fire from both remotes increased, but Jaina was too quick and precise, the exercise easy for her.

But she kept one eye on the remote to her left, which hovered dangerously but had yet to cast a shot. That made her nervous, and Jaina always struggled with split concentration. She reached out through the Force and finally heard the left remote whir and fire.

She spun to deflect the sole blaster bolt her left side, but was a split-second too late, the blast stunning her arm slightly. Jaina deactivated the drones with a wave of her hand, thumbed off her saber and clipped it back onto her belt. Then she pushed up the sleeve of her robe and rubbed the reddening mark on her arm with a grimace.

"I thought those things weren't meant to hurt?"

Jaina turned to see Zebula Pavish approach, and noted that he wasn't wearing senatorial robes, but tight-fitting black trousers and a hooded leather jacket with a wool lining. She guessed he must be finished work for the day.

"Yeah, Aunt Mara must have raised the setting on that one," Jaina said and pushed the sleeve of her robe back down. "Even when she's not here, she's teaching me."

Zeb raised his eyebrows. "How so?"

"I favour my right hand," Jaina explained, grabbing her saber again to demonstrate. "So she deliberately set that drone up to focus on my left, but I tried to keep both hands on my saber and turn to deflect the bolt." She pivoted on her feet, and swung the saber handle with a two-handed grip. "But I wasn't fast enough," she continued. "What I _should_ have done was use my left hand only," she dropped her right hand from the grip and swung the saber with the left, showing him how much quicker the movement was. "I tried to compensate, when I should have adapted."

Zeb nodded. "Still, it's a painful lesson." He reached forward to take her hand and gently pushed her sleeve back up to examine the skin of her forearm which was red and already starting to blister.

"Better I learn it with a remote than in battle," Jaina answered, suddenly aware of the gentle warmth of his hand holding hers. "I think that's what Aunt Mara wanted to remind me."

Zeb grinned at that. "She's a tough lady."

"Most of the time," Jaina agreed. She knew her Aunt often came across as cold and even hostile sometimes, but Jaina also knew when it came to her family, Mara felt things as deeply as any of them. Jaina had felt how much she had missed Uncle Luke while he'd been on Dathomir, and now he was gone again.

"Your Mum sent me," Zeb changed the subject and brought Jaina's attention back to him. "There was a breach of NRI security today, and….an attack on Corellia."

"I know," Jaina replied solemnly, dropping her hand from Zeb's grip. "I know about Dad, too. They commed Master Soulser about Jedi Riu." Jaina knew the Twi'lek well, and wasn't afraid for her. Yara was strong and determined, and she would pull through. As for her father – well, Jaina knew nothing could keep him down.

"Leia needs to work tonight as I'm sure you can imagine," Zeb continued. "But she suggested – actually she ordered me to take you out. I mean, erm…" Zeb was suddenly flustered. "That we go out together. No…"

"Alright," Jaina smiled, the first time she had done so all day. "Let me change into my civvies and we'll go."

It was a quick stop off at the women's locker room, and Jaina neatly folded her Jedi robes away in her personal compartment and slapped a bacta patch on her red arm. There were some Jedi who chose to wear their robes constantly as the old Order had done, but Jaina liked the thought of being out of "uniform." Of course, a Jedi was always on duty and mindful of when their skills might be needed, but on some level she considered that being a Jedi was no different from being a fighter pilot or NRI operative or a soldier. It was nice to wear civilian clothes.

She didn't have much to choose from in her locker, not that Jaina was particularly fussed about appearances. She changed into black trousers and boots, a light green tunic and a fitted dark green jacket. Always cautious, Jaina also pulled on her holster and blaster and clipped her lightaber to her belt. She pulled her hair out of the tight ponytail she wore for training and before leaving the room paused at the mirror. She brushed her fingers through her brown locks to smooth out the kinks, something she usually wouldn't have bothered with.

Zeb took her down to the lower levels, as if sensing she needed to go somewhere inconspicuous. Jaina liked the pulse and thrill of Coruscant's underbelly, so different from her parent's large and luxurious apartments, the Jedi Temple, or the family lake house on Naboo. It was exhilarating to be among the _life _of Coruscant, a million different beings of a thousand different species and worlds – smugglers and criminals and carefree socialites, people seeking their fortune, or drowning their sorrows, all together in a melting pot of a city.

They went to a small bar in the smuggler's district where no one paid them much attention. Zeb led her to a quiet corner and they sat down in a small private booth across from one another. A harried waitress arrived and plonked down two glasses of ale without them even ordering anything.

"This an old haunt of yours?" Jaina asked, although she knew Zeb didn't like to talk much about his childhood.

"Nah," Zeb said with a smile, and she knew he was not offended. "I think your father would kill me if I ever took you to one of those, yeah?"

Jaina liked that when they were alone, the crisp formality of Zeb's inflection faded slightly and his natural accent bled through. His speech became slightly more punctuated with lower-level slang, his pronunciation of 'th' came across more like 'f', 'were' became 'was' and he said 'da' instead of 'the'. Jaina had spent a lot of time cataloguing the differences in his speech, and it made her smile whenever she heard it.

They chatted quietly for a while, and Zeb did an admirable job of keeping her mind off the day's events as she made short work of her ale, but they were soon interrupted by a brash voice calling out across the bar.

"Oi, Zeb!"

Jaina looked up to see two figures approaching. The one who had spoken was almost two metres tall with greyish-purple skin and yellowed eyes – a Lasat, Jaina surmised. His pointed ears were feline in appearance and he was bald except for thick purple whiskers on his chin and jaw. The other was a human male with olive skin and dark, curly hair.

Zeb seemed surprised but pleased, and rose to greet the pair as they approached, sharing a complicated handshake with them both. "What're you two doing here?" Zeb asked them, sinking back into the booth. "Isn't this place a little tame for you?"

"Good for a change sometimes, innit," the Lasat shrugged, then turned and looked at Jaina appreciatively. "Hello, luv."

"Alright, lay off," Zeb waved his hand. "Jaina, this is Quix Treelaj," he indicated the Lasat. "And Petar Sillow." The human male gave a sardonic little wave. "Mates from the old days."

"So you're the Solo girl, huh?" Petar gave her a smile. Whilst Quix had the accent and slang of a Coruscant lower-leveller, she could tell that Petar was Corellian.

"Jaina," she corrected him. "Nice to meet you."

"Check you, with your new fam, bruv" Quix slapped Zeb on the arm. "Heard you levelled up. And talking like a right toff, too."

Zeb shrugged and took a large gulp of his ale.

"You don't, though," Quix observed, turning to Jaina. "You sound like 'im" he pointed a thumb at Petar.

Jaina was well aware that she didn't have the crisp Coruscanti accent of her aunt and cousins. "I spent a lot of time on Corellia as a kid," she explained. "And when we came back here I guess I couldn't get rid of the accent."

"That's the way it's meant to be," Petar grinned. "Once a Corellian, always a Corellian."

"That's what my Dad says," Jaina returned his smile.

"So you're a Jedi, yeah?" Quix's sharp eyes looked down at her lightsaber. "Ya know, my Uncle used da ride around with one of youse."

"Really?" Jaina sat up straighter, intrigued.

But Zeb waved a dismissive hand. "Knock it off, Quix, she ain't impressed."

"We heard what happened at the pig-pen today," Petar said, changing the subject, his glee a little too evident.

"Pig-pen?" Jaina queried.

"NRI," Zeb clarified.

"That's not public knowledge," Jaina frowned.

Petar and Quiz both laughed heartily, and even Zeb gave her an indulgent smile.

"Ain't no secrets on Coruscant, me lovely," Quix told her.

"So, any word on who was behind it?" Zeb asked.

Quix gave Jaina an appraising look, and then turned back to Zeb and shrugged. "We don't know nothin', bruv," Quix said.

Jaina didn't need to Force to know he was lying, and almost reached out to touch his mind and see what she could glean, but stopped herself. Uncle Luke always said that just because you could do something, didn't mean you should, and that went double when it came to using the Force.

"Quix," Peter nudged the Lasat and nodded towards the doorway, where a group of uniformed officers had just entered. "The fuzz."

"Alright bruv?" Zeb asked, falling back into his childhood slang.

"Nah, da NRI, bruv," Quix said, indicating the officers, who approached the bar and ordered drinks. "They find us, they'll give us a right bollocking."

"Probably shouldn't tell me why they're after you," Zeb advised. "Plausible deniability and all that."

"Alright bruv, good to see ya." Quix clapped him on the shoulder. "Laters."

"Laters," Zeb replied. Quix gave Jaina a wink, and Petar a two-fingered mock salute before the pair sidled off into the crowd.

"You don't think they're involved, do you?" Jaina asked softly, watching them retreat.

"Nah," Zeb shook his head. "They know something though."

"We should go after them," Jaina suggested, but Zeb shook his head again.

"They won't tell me anything with you around," he shrugged. "Sorry, Jaina, it's the way things work down here."

Jaina huffed in frustration. "Then I should learn how things work," she said.

"Your Mum and Dad wouldn't like that." Zeb took another sip of his ale, and signaled to the waitress to bring him another.

"I'm starting to not give a damn about what they wouldn't like," Jaina complained, drowning her own ale and accepting the fresh one gratefully when the waitress arrived. "I'm nineteen - by the time Mom was my age she'd was already working for the Alliance and going on covert missions – Dad was already exploring the galaxy as a smuggler, and Uncle Luke had blown up the Death Star. How am I ever going to prove myself if I'm not allowed to do anything?"

"Well, you're their only child," Zeb pointed out, ever the diplomat. "They're protective – especially your mother."

Jaina knew that – and she knew why. Still, it rankled. "Yeah, but they didn't have to drag Uncle Luke and Aunt Mara into it," Jaina pouted. "I know I'm ready for the Jedi Trials, but have they let me take them? No."

"Did you maybe think you're just _not_ ready?" Zeb shrugged. "You said yourself, you need more experience."

"That's the problem!" Jaina exclaimed. "I need more experience to be Knighted, but I can't be Knighted until I get that experience."

"They got you sewn up real good, Jaina," Zeb laughed. "I don't know why you're worried," he continued dismissively. "Most Jedi are still padawans at your age, yeah?"

"I guess," Jaina answered. "But I've been training practically since birth to be a Jedi."

"So was your cousin," Zeb pointed out. "And he only became a Jedi a few years ago."

Jaina bit her lip to stop her smile and looked away.

"Oh, I see," Zen said with a chuckle. "You want to _beat _him to knighthood."

Jaina could no longer stop herself from grinning and turned back to Zeb, laughing. "So what?" she said, slapping his arm. "Everyone thinks it's just a given Ben will be Grand Master of the Order someday. They still see me as a little girl, but I'm not," she insisted. "I could do it."

"I thought you wanted to join Rogue Squadron?" Zeb asked.

Jaina shrugged. "I could do both."

Zeb laughed again. "I bet you could." He saluted her with his glass of ale and took a generous gulp. "And when I'm Chancellor and you're Grand Master of the Jedi _and_ Admiral of the fleet, we'll rule the galaxy together."

"Count on it," Jaina laughed.

Zeb put down his drink and relaxed back into the booth, sighing deeply. "Might be too much like hard work, though," he said conversationally. "Your parents were married for ten years before they had you. I always wondered why they didn't have kids before," he continued, and despite herself, Jaina tensed, her good mood dissipating. "But now I understand, most nights I'm too exhausted to move." He laughed and ran a hand over his eyes.

"Yeah," Jaina said dryly. "Sitting down all day talking sounds like it would really drain you," she added. "Try training with Aunt Mara – one hundred push-ups and a five mile run, and that's just the warm up!"

They both laughed, but his words hung at the back of her mind. Jaina took a sip of her ale and held it on the table, tracing the rim of the glass with her finger so she didn't have to look back up at Zeb.

"My parents did have another child before me," she said quietly.

"What?" Zeb sat up straight, shocked by her revelation.

"I was never supposed to know," she continued, eyes still on her glass. "But Aunt Mara told me once after she'd had too much whiskey." Jaina chanced a glance up to gauge Zeb's reaction, and saw confusion, but acceptance and curiosity. She took a shaky breath – no one would ever talk about it, and yet it was something Jaina had desperately wanted to share with someone. And who could she trust, if not Zeb?

"It was about a year after my parents got married," Jaina continued, thinking back to the time when, blind drunk, her Aunt hadn't had the presence of mind or inclination to lie. "Aunt Mara hadn't known them very long, she'd only just become friends with Uncle Luke," Jaina thought back to what she was sure was a highly edited version of meeting her Aunt and Uncle's first meeting. "Well…she'd stopped wanting to kill him at least."

"What happened?" Zeb asked gently.

"He died," Jaina looked away, hot tears burning behind her eyes. "Stillborn."

"I'm sorry." Zeb moved from the other side of the booth to take a seat next to her. He took her hand gently, and Jaina watched as their fingers intertwined.

"After that," she forced herself to continue. "Aunt Mara said my Mom and Dad couldn't bear the thought of having another child. Not even when Ben and Micah were born."

"So what changed?" Zeb asked. Jaina looked up, into his dark eyes and knew that he would not be offended if she didn't answer. And yet, Jaina found such comfort and relief in his presence that she wanted to tell him everything about herself, every thought and desire she had ever kept hidden.

"Aunt Mara said it was the will of the Force," Jaina told him simply.

Zeb furrowed his brow. "That doesn't sound like her."

Jaina managed a light laugh. "Yeah, well she was pretty drunk at the time." But then she sobered as she remembered the date. "It would have been his birthday next week," Jaina added sadly. "That's why Mom always gets sad around this time of year."

Zeb nodded. "I did wonder." He looked down at his hand in hers, running the fingers of his free hand lightly over the scars on his knuckles. They were souvenirs, Jaina knew, from his childhood. "It was about this time of year that I first met her."

Jaina squeezed his hand in comfort and solidarity, feeling a closeness to him that she never had before. She and Zeb had been friends since her mother had brought him home one day out of the blue, but it was only in the past year or so that they'd become close. When they'd been younger, Zeb had spent most of his time getting into mischief with Micah, but since her cousin had left to join Talon Karrde's organization Zeb had been spending much more time in Jaina's company.

They were not her cousin Ben and Syal Antilles, who had been in each other's pockets since childhood to the point where romantic entanglement had been a foregone conclusion. She'd had her own entanglements at the Jedi Academy – first a serious crush on Master Durron when she'd been fourteen, until her friend Tenal Ka had talked sense into her and prevented Jaina from embarrassing herself. She was forever grateful that Master Durron had never discovered her crush, or worse, that her cousins had become aware of it which would have meant merciless teasing until the day she died. She had dated fellow student Zekk for a while, but it had never been love, and when he'd been knighted and left for missions with Corran Horn they'd lost touch.

Zeb had always been there, of course, but she had never looked at him as a romantic prospect. Trying to be objective, Jaina wondered why not. He was certainly good looking, and clever. Jaina felt comfortable in his presence. She loved her family and Jedi friends dearly, but she always felt an undercurrent of obligation and expectation. She was Jaina Solo, the only child of Han Solo and Leia Organa, the child the Force had gifted to them to heal the chasm in both of their hearts.

But Zeb was different. He knew what it was like to be misunderstood, to feel the need to prove himself, to always be on edge about what others thought. But when Jaina was with him, she felt none of those things, and suspected it was the same for him. They could just be.

"Are you alright, Jaina?" Zeb asked, his dark eyes gazing into her own. She had shifted closer so that their knees were touching, and Jaina felt her heart race at the contact.

"I'm fine," she told him, smiling brilliantly and brimming with newfound confidence and daring.

Impulsively, she cupped his face in her hands, leaned forward and kissed him.


	7. Chapter 7

_**1 NRE**_

_Luke was in the dark, alone and the only person he'd spoken to in three days claimed she wanted to kill him. _Well_, he thought to himself ruefully, _I've been in worse situations_. _

_Jade came morning and night to deliver him food and take him to the 'fresher. She spoke little, but even without the Force he could sense her hate – it seeped from her like blood from a poorly stitched wound. Luke had chatted away to her nonetheless, hoping to prod her into revealing something, about his situation, about the facility, why he couldn't feel the Force, about why she wanted to kill him – why she had not done it yet. But Jade was a vault, refusing even to admit that she worked for Talon Karrde or where Artoo was. _

_When she appeared the morning of the fourth day Luke's internal chrono told him that it was around 0800 – a full hour earlier than she usually arrived. He'd been up for hours anyway, years of early mornings back on the moisture farm and in the Rebellion had meant he slept little, even if he wanted to. _

"_Couldn't wait to see me, huh?" he asked her, rising from his sleeping pallet and throwing her what he hoped was a charming grin. _

_She scowled at him, her ever-present blaster pointed at his chest. "Come on, Skywalker," Jade put his wrists into binders, grabbed his shoulder and pushed him out the door. _

"_We going somewhere?" he asked lightly, wondering if he was headed to his execution or salvation. He knew the Hutts had the biggest bounty on him, but there were a dozen other crimelords, ex-Imperials or terrorists he'd tangled with over the years who would be pay dearly to end his life. _

"_How observant, Skywalker," she retorted, one hand in a vice grip on his shoulder and the other holding the nub of her blaster against his back. "Must be that famed Jedi intuition," she added snidely._

"_Can't be," Luke replied cheerfully, determined to unnerve her with friendliness. "I can't feel the Force, so it's good old Skywalker intuition." _

_Mara snorted dismissively. "Like it makes a difference," she muttered, and Luke found himself smiling again. Her tone had been softer, her words not as harsh, and he could swear that she'd been almost amused by him. _

_She led him down several suspiciously empty hallways until eventually they reached a small hanger, where a lone ship – a repurposed Imperial shuttle - was docked and a figure stood at the base of the ramp. Luke took in his stylish, expensively cut clothing, the sly, appraising expression on his face and confident stance and guessed he was in the presence of the smuggler chief himself. _

"_Talon Karrde, I presume?" Luke asked as they approached. _

"_Luke Skywalker," Karrde replied in a rich baritone, and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "I wish that we were meeting under more pleasant circumstances."_

_Luke tugged at his binders. "We can make the circumstances more pleasant, if you like," he suggested. "I'm here at your design, not the other way around."_

"_You are correct." Karrde's voice was rich, smooth silk, and yet there was an edge to it, a warning that there was steel under pleasantries. _

"_Karrde," Jade spoke up warningly. _

"_Where are you taking me?" he asked, refusing to move even when Mara pushed the nub of her blaster into his back yet again, more forcefully this time._

"_Always with the questions," Mara snarled at him, sliding around to face him. "Shut up and do what you're told."_

"_Or you'll what?" Luke asked, holding his ground. "Shoot me?" He saw Mara's finger twitch on her blaster and knew he was pushing his luck. "You would have done it by now unless you needed me alive," he addressed Karrde. _

"_We don't _need _you alive, Skywalker," Karrde told him. "I'm still considering my options – don't make up my mind for me."_

"_Where's Artoo?" Luke asked as his suspicions about his being held captive for a bounty were confirmed._

"_Who?" Karrde looked confused._

_Mara exhaled harshly. "His stupid droid," she told him. "He's always asking about it." _

"_Promise me that no matter what you decide, you'll return Artoo to the New Republic," Luke demanded. "And I'll get in the ship."_

"_Why is he so important?" Karrde asked. "Is he carrying information?"_

"_He's a friend." Of course, Luke knew that Artoo had a wealth of information vital to a man like Karrde, but also did not fear that information being revealed. As he had recently learned, Artoo knew how to keep a secret. _

_Karrde gazed at him thoughtfully. "Alright, Skywalker," he agreed. "You have my word."_

_Luke sighed thankfully and walked up the ramp to the shuttle, Mara's blaster in his back all the way. Karrde followed swiftly behind and made immediately for the cockpit. Luke stood by the bulkhead as the ramp closed behind him and Karrde started up the flight cycle. _

"_Aren't you going to co-pilot?" he asked as Mara sidled around Luke until she stood between him and the cockpit, her blaster now pointed at his chest. They were less than three feet from one another in the cramped body of the shuttle._

"_Shut up, Skywalker."_

_Luke felt a smile creep onto his face. "You need to work on your vocabulary, Jade," he teased her. "I would've expected better of a smuggler," he continued, banking on the fact that she wouldn't shoot him in front of her boss. "Maybe next time mix it up with 'seal your stoopa mouth, Skywalker,' or 'tighten your Tatooine trap' or something." He cocked his head as if in contemplation. "Or you can use my first name – it's Luke, by the way," he added, although he knew full well she was aware of his name._

"_Shut up, Skywalker," she said through gritted teeth. "I'll stop saying it when you actually do it."_

_Luke shrugged. "Guess I'll have to get used to it then." He craned his neck to look over Mara's shoulder, seeing that they had left the hanger and were flying low over the forest. _

_In the cockpit, the comm crackled to life. "This is General Antilles of the New Republic Star Destroyer _Victory_," a clipped, familiar voice flowed through the comm and into the shuttle, and Luke stood up a bit straighter. So _that _was why they were moving him. "Please prepare your landing platform-"_

_The voice was cut off when Karrde hit the comm with a closed fist, and Mara cast a worried glance over her shoulder back into the cockpit. Taking advantage of her distraction, Luke slammed his body into hers, throwing her off balance. She quickly righted herself and levelled her blaster, but not before Luke had grabbed his lightsaber from her belt and cut off his binders. _

_He held the saber in front of him defensively, and saw Jade hesitate. She desperately wanted to pull the trigger, that much was obvious, but would she chance it, knowing he would likely be able to deflect the bolt back and eliminate her? Luke would never to such a thing, of course. But she didn't know that. _

"_Mara!" Karrde called warningly, hands busy at the controls to keep the ship flying, and he chanced a look back to them to assess the situation. Mara's eyes narrowed as she pointed her blaster at Luke and pulled the trigger. _

_He had meant to deflect it harmlessly to the side of the ship, but in the moment Mara fired Karrde rose and grabbed her shoulder, occupying the space where Luke had meant to aim. He was able to swing his saber in enough of an arc to carry the blaster bolt upwards and miss the smuggler's head by a few inches. However, that sent it back into the cockpit where it impacted against the viewscreen and upper part of the control panel. _

_Part of the transparisteel window cracked and splintered, the outside air rushing in with thunderous force._

"_What have you done?" Mara shrieked as she grabbed hold of a nearby rail. Luke did the same, deactivating his lightsaber and looking towards the cockpit where Karrde was frantically trying the controls. But Luke could see it was no use – the blaster bolt had short-circuited them and they began to freefall. _

_Luke went to help him, but Mara got there first, flicking the switches of the panel to the side of the cockpit. He saw the spark on the control panel before Karrde a split second before it blew up, but could not call a warning before the force of the explosion pushed Karrde violently back against the pilot's chair. Luke grabbed Mara and smothered her body in his own as he pushed them back into the body of the shuttle and down to the floor._

_A few seconds later they crashed into the ground and everything went black._

* * *

**29 NRE**

In the depths of hyperspace, there was nothing for Luke Skywalker to do but surrender to the visions which had plagued his sleep for months.

It always started in a forest, where he stood alone among the trees. There was something unsettling about those woods, familiar, although he could never quite pinpoint what it was. In the distance he heard a youngling crying, alighting his paternal instincts, and Luke wondered which of his children was in such pain. He couldn't see where the cry originated, so he plunged blindly into the forest, caring not for the sharp branches that ripped at his skin as he pushed them aside. The cries grew louder, the loneliness and despair of the sound tearing at Luke's heart as he ran faster, desperately trying to locate the child and hold them in his arms, to soothe them and protect them. And yet he could not find the child, his eyes blocked by darkness at every turn.

When the darkness receded, he was in a different forest, and saw the funeral pyre he had built for his father on Endor. He saw a cloaked figure, its hand reaching to pick up what remained of Darth Vader's helmet. The figure was shrouded in darkness, but he saw a prosthetic hand join the flesh one to grasp the helmet, mechanical fingers winding through the cracks, embracing them.

Then he was transported to an island in a vast and swirling sea, volcanic rock formations pointing like spires to the grey skies above. He saw Jaina among the rocks above him, her face half in shadow.

She wielded her lightsaber, the hilt as familiar to him and Luke's own, and yet the violet hue had been replaced by an unfamiliar blood red. There was a shadow behind her, but it moved too quickly for Luke to grasp. Jaina stared at him, unblinking, but made no move to strike him down.

Suddenly the shadows were all around him, leaping from the rocks and crevices and attaching themselves to his body like mynocks to a ship. The army of dark souls pulled him down into the depths of the darkness, where he was assaulted by rapid-fire images. A sky alight with fire, dark, unfamiliar eyes, a lightsaber which had been broken in two. Leia, tears streaking down her face, clutching her chest as he felt her heart break. His beautiful wife, his Mara, looking at him with coldness in her eyes as their connection in the Force shattered.

An insistent beeping woke Luke from his trance, and his eyes snapped open to a familiar looking planet before him. Luke realised that the beeping had emanated from Artoo, who must have brought them out of hyperspace himself. He glanced at the translator module, which read [are you alright Master Luke?]

"I'm fine Artoo," he reassured the droid.

[I could not wake you] Artoo warbled, transferring the ship back to manual, and Luke took over control of the X-wing.

"You worry too much," Luke dismissed him. "You're starting to sound like Threepio."

Artoo led forth a string of beeps which the translator evidently could not decipher, but Luke could understand the string of curses through the Force. He chuckled to himself and looked back at the dusty planet which loomed in his viewscreen. He hadn't lived there for thirty four years and he visited rarely, but a part of him would always consider it home, always gain comfort from it. Except this time, he felt the dark side emanating from Tatooine, tainting the very essence of the planet and clouding Luke's senses.

That was why his vision had been so vivid, and why Artoo had been unable to wake him from his trance. He'd told only Mara the full details of what he'd been seeing, even her place in the vision, for they had no secrets. She'd comforted him with a kiss and a teasing quip that the reason for her anger was probably because he'd forgotten to put his socks in the hamper again. It was the child crying which had disturbed both of them, and what Luke feared more than anything else he had seen. He simply couldn't bear the thought of his children being in such pain, and hoped that part of the vision would never come to pass.

"So this is Tatooine," Kara's voice flooded through the comm and broke Luke from his reverie. "Does it always feel like this?" she asked, and Luke knew that she had sensed the dark side, too.

"No," Luke told her with a grimace. "It looks like Ben and Eren were right."

"Can you feel them, Master?" Kara asked.

Luke reached out for the two Jedi, sensing the presence of his son and former student, but unable to pinpoint their location due to the cloud of the dark side. "We'll land just outside Anchorhead," he instructed. "Ben said that's where they were staying."

"Lead the way, Luke," Kara said with a hint of wryness, and he belatedly realised that she would have no idea where Anchorhead was on the planet. So he took point, directing his X-Wing through the dusty atmosphere and to the small settlement where he had spent much of his youth.

The landing cycle was relatively easy, despite the minor sandstorm raging in the distance. Luke climbed out of the cockpit and breathed in the familiar dryness. Kara was already removing her flightsuit and discarding it in her own ship. And yet she did not pull on her cloak, he noted, and he gave her a wry smile as she climbed down into the sand beside him. Kara shrugged and looked skeptically around her, taking in the sand dunes and red cliffs in the distance; the crashed starship and dilapidated group of buildings that made up Anchorhead.

Dust flittered in the air around them, and Luke drew the hood of his own cloak over his head. Kara squared her shoulders and walking directly towards the Tosche Station.

It was much as Luke remembered and he stopped in the doorway to take it in. The grimy counter, the odds and sods which were offered for sale, the dim light. It was as if he'd stepped back thirty four years.

"Can I help you?" A woman appeared at the counter and he recognized Camie immediately. She was still pretty with fine brown hair streaked with blonde, although she was older, a little plumper, and had deep lines on her face that all life-long residents of Tatooine bore.

"We're looking for our friends," Kara told her, walking forward. "A tall woman, blonde, and a young man with red hair. I understand they've been in town."

"Oh, them?" Camie scrunched up her nose. "They're at the old Lars homestead."

Fixer popped his head out from the back room. "I can take you out there too and show you around," he offered, scurrying up to the counter. "Fifty credits. For an extra ten I'll even tell you some stories about Skywalker. I knew him, you know."

Luke realised that they hadn't recognized him. Once he'd practically begged for the attention of their small Anchorhead gang – only Biggs had ever shown him real kindness, the others preferring to mock him. And now they were taking tourists around his old home. Luke wasn't sure whether to be amused or aghast.

"You still do." Luke pulled back the hood of his cloak and stepped forward into the light. Having one of the most recognizable faces in the galaxy was more often a burden than a benefit to Luke, but he was somewhat amused that he could be recognized by strangers in an instant and yet his childhood companions had difficulty placing him.

"Oh!" Camie reacted first, and then a sly smile slid over her surprise. "Hey Wormie."

Kara gave him a sideways look and raised her eyebrow. Luke shrugged dismissively. That nickname had been the bane of his childhood, but in the scope of his life the old hurt mattered little.

Fixer laughed and did not seem ashamed that he'd just offered the Grand Master of the Jedi a trip to his own childhood home. "Luke," he greeted, looking him up and down. "That kid said he was your son," he continued. "I didn't believe him."

"I hope you didn't charge him for a tour," Luke said wryly.

"Didn't get the chance, small fry," Fixer looked somewhat irritated. "Said he knew the way."

Camie leant against the counter. "You're not such a small fry now, Luke," she shrugged. "Least _you_ could do was support your old friends."

Luke fought the urge to roll his eyes but thought she had a point, so he haggled over a price to rent a speeder that was generous but not insulting. Fixer spent that time trying to sweet talk Kara as she politely ignored him and Camie grew angrier, so Luke was relieved to get out of there.

It was late afternoon when they arrived at the moisture farm where Luke had spent most of his childhood. It was owned by the Darklighter family, now, who worked the vaporators but had kept the homestead as it had been decades earlier, preserving its memory.

Kara bit her lip as they descended into the main living pit, Artoo and Kara's own R4 unit rolling down the ramp on the outside of the crater. "It's nice," Kara said with a smile, surveying the surroundings.

Luke laughed, since she was a terrible liar. "Not as nice as a Coruscanti mansion," he teased her. "No butler droids or swimming pools, here."

"Shame," Kara chuckled, and Luke led her through the courtyard to the family dining room. He'd sensed his son's presence as they'd arrived, and had grasped it gratefully. Eren and Ben were waiting for them, Eren tapping away at a datapad at the table and Ben leaning against the wall, his eyes already on the doorway.

"Ben," Luke greeted him, and pulled the young man forward into a hug.

"Hi Dad," his son answered, and Luke could feel his relief through the Force.

Luke pulled back to arm's length and patted his son's cheek, where a healthy ginger beard had grown. It was far more neatly trimmed than Luke's own, but the sight made him smile. "I hope you're willing to incur your mother's wrath with this," he said with a wink.

Ben shrugged, grinning. "What's her logic?" he joked. "_There is no beard, there is only the chin_."

Eren looked up from her datapad and smiled, emphasizing her prominent Utapaun cheekbones. "But it makes Ben look so much like you, Master Skywalker," she countered. "I think she'd like that."

Luke laughed, and Kara rolled her eyes with good-natured affection, moving past them to the table and taking a seat across from Eren.

"Do you think so?" Ben asked, stroking his beard. "I met someone in Mos Eisley who said I didn't look much like you at all," he said absently. Luke patted his son fondly on the shoulder, not seeing how whether they looked alike was relevant to anything.

"You were right about the dark side being here," he said, taking a seat next to Kara at the table. Ben sat opposite him and clasped his hands together on the table.

"It has been getting stronger," Eren said seriously. "Every day we feel it grow, out in the wastes."

"Tomorrow we'll go investigate," Luke promised them. "Have you felt anything specific?" he asked, remembering Ben's uneasy demeanor when he'd called Coruscant. "Seen anything?"

Ben shot Eren a look, his hands clenched on the table, and she sighed and shrugged. "I had a vision," Ben explained, nervously. "Eren advised me not to say anything, but I think you have to know."

"You can tell me anything, Ben." Luke touched his hand lightly.

Ben sighed and stood, turning towards the open doorway and leaning against the pourstone frame.

"It was the Sith," he said darkly, his back rigid and stiff. "I couldn't see his face, but I think you'd been fighting him - you were unconscious, anyway." Ben turned around, and Luke could fully see his distress. "He was above you, his lightsaber drawn. He was about the make the killing stroke…"

Luke stood and drew Ben into a tight embrace, trying to take Ben's burdens into himself and disperse them. "Do not worry, Ben," he told him fervently. "The future is always in motion." He pulled back and put each hand on Ben's shoulders, giving him a reassuring smile. "Just because you had a vision of something does not mean it will happen."

"But it might," Ben insisted.

"Anything at all might happen," Luke replied, trying to placate him. "Where did this take place - here on Tatooine?"

Ben looked at him incredulously and there was a flash of anger in his pale blue eyes. "Do you think that if the vision took place here I would _ever _ask you to come?" he said, pulling away from Luke's hold. "I wouldn't let you within a system of this planet!"

Luke couldn't help but smile at the confidence his son had in himself to believe that he could ever prevent Luke from doing anything.

"It's not funny, Dad!" Ben continued angrily. "You think you're invincible, but you're not," he continued, incensed. "You're not," he added, his voice breaking. Luke tried to reach for him again, but Ben shook off his hold and stalked out of the room.

Luke rubbed his forehead wearily and turned back to the two women at the table who gave him sympathetic looks. "He gets that from me," he said, trying to lighten the mood. "I used to get angry and stomp out of this room all the time."

Eren and Kara shared a look, and Kara had the good grace to give him a weak smile. Eren, however, remained serious.

"I did not wish to withhold information from you, Luke," Eren told him, regret flickering in her dark eyes. "I just thought - "

"I know," Luke nodded, bearing no ill will towards her. "Knowledge of the future can be dangerous. Trying to prevent a vision may only ensure that it happens." If, Luke thought to himself, his father had not been so obsessed with finding a way to save his mother after having a vision of her death, history may have been very different.

"I refuse to be cowed by fate," he told them. "Or let those I love be frightened into making choices they otherwise would not in fear for my life."

"But neither should you discount Ben's vision, Luke," Kara said evenly. "Even if it is only a possible future."

"I'm not discounting it," Luke told her. "I'm just going to avoid being consumed by it."

Kara looked skeptical, and Luke thought it best to leave her and Eren to their own counsel. Maybe they would be able to assess the situation from fresh eyes - and without the encumbrance of Skywalker overaction, he thought wryly to himself. Luke withdrew to the outer courtyard, passing Artoo on the way and giving him a friendly pat on his domed head before climbing the stairs back up to ground level.

His son stood at the ridge of the homestead, gazing out towards the scarlet, orange and amber sunset. The brilliant light of the setting twin suns lit up the gold in Ben's red hair, and it struck Luke how young it made his son look. He thought back to the crying child in his vision, and his heart ached at the memory, wondering if the child was crying because it had lost a father, and Luke could not find them because he was dead. But Luke was resolved to take his own advice and not let the vision divert him.

"Beautiful, isn't it," Luke said conversationally as he stood next to Ben. "I used to stand out here all the time."

Ben nodded, but did not look at him, his jaw remaining firmly clenched.

"I never told you, Ben," Luke continued. "About the prophesy of the Chosen One."

Ben turned to him then, his brow furrowed. "The one destined to bring balance to the Force?" Ben sighed dismissively and scratched the side of his chin. "I know about that, Dad."

Now Luke was confused. "How?"

"I can do my own research," Ben answered dryly. "All that was required was access to the Archive and two fingers to type."

"Alright," Luke nodded, somewhat proud that Ben had been able to find those records. "So you know that from the age of nine, your grandfather was told that he was destined to bring the Force into balance, to be the savior of the Jedi."

Ben nodded slowly.

"What you don't know is that Obi-Wan told me about it after Yoda died – told me that the prophesy had been…misinterpreted, and that _I_ was the Chosen One destined to destroy the Sith." Luke took a deep breath and closed his eyes, the memory still painful. "I had refused to try and kill Vader and perhaps he thought it would give me the…courage to try."

"But you did bring balance to the Force, Dad," Ben countered. "You _are _the balance of the Force."

Luke wasn't sure if he was touched by Ben's high esteem or concerned that it was misplaced. Perhaps both. "The point is that if I had bowed to what I was told was my destiny, I would likely have been turned to the dark side by killing my own father," he continued. "In the end, the prophesy didn't matter." Luke placed a hand on Ben's shoulder and squeezed lightly. "And the reason why I never told you was because I never wanted you to feel burdened with purpose, as Anakin was, as I was." Luke waited until Ben's eyes met his own, and continued emphatically. "We cannot let fate or prophesy, or visions of the future cloud our judgment." Then he pulled his son close again, as he had done when Ben was a child, gently stroking his hair. "We make our own fate, Ben," he whispered to his son, and felt the understanding in Ben's heart.

"And the Sith?" he asked as he pulled away, looking back out towards the wastes where the dark side loomed. "What's their fate?"

"I guess we'll see," Luke patted him on the shoulder and tried to smile.

They talked for some time after that, discussing the details of what Ben had discovered so far as the suns lowered, the hues of the sky changing to soft pinks and purples, until finally they both slipped below the horizon. Eventually Ben went back to the homestead to bunk down for the night, but Luke remained on the ridge, looking out over the darkened landscape and up into the clear sky where a million stars burned.

He reached out into the Force, this time deliberately seeking the visions which had plagued his nightmares. They came again, stronger and more numerous than before but Luke endured them. He saw the shadows again, he saw Vader's helmet and the grey sky and spires of the unknown island. He saw Jaina with her impassive face and blood-red blade. He saw his sister and wife, both heartbroken, he saw his children crying and brother-in-law alone in an unfamiliar cockpit.

The darkness clung to his body like a shroud, but Luke would not let it consume him. Rather, he brought his mind back to an old Jedi poem Yoda had once told him about, to always remind Luke that there was hope.

_The darkness is generous and it is patient and it always wins_, Luke recited to himself the words Yoda had spoken so long ago. _But in the heart of its strength lies its weakness: one lone candle is enough to hold it back._

Luke opened his eyes and sighed heavily. He could not find the candle, could not see it's light, but he knew it was there, just outside the fringes of his reach. And he would find it, eventually, when the Force was ready to show it to him.

He thought back to the days after Endor, when he had studied Yoda's holocron and searched the galaxy for lost Jedi teachings. He had found an original version of the poem, many thousands of years old, from before the dawn of the Old Republic, before the schism and the great Sith Wars. It had been scrawled on parchment, and Luke had realized that Yoda had omitted the most crucial aspect of the teaching – or perhaps he had never known it.

_Love is more than a candle, _the final words of the poem had read. _Love can ignite the stars._


	8. Chapter 8

**_1 NRE_**

_To anyone else, Leia would appear the picture of serene calm. But Han Solo knew his wife, and could see the nervous ticks that betrayed her anxious state. The way she fiddled with the hair at the nape of her neck, ensuring it was properly encased in her intricate bun, the way she smoothed out an invisible wrinkle in her dress, the way she held her head perfectly straight as she watched the entrance to the villa. _

_"Hello?" a soft female voice called, and a woman appeared at the top of the stairs leading down to the dock. She was well into her middle age, but had a proud, strong face framed by dark hair streaked with only a few strands of grey. She wore an elegant, full length dress of dark blue in the style of the aristocracy, and although her carriage and bearing were almost regal, there was no hint of superiority or snobbishness about her. _

_Han looked over at Leia, who was still seated on the chaise, seemingly frozen in place. Han leapt up to greet the woman. "Han Solo," he said, holding his hand out. _

_"General Solo, of course." She grasped his hand and gave it a firm shake. "I am Sola Naberrie."_

_Leia appeared at Han's elbow, and he put an encouraging hand on her back. "My wife, Leia," Han said gently, and then retreated to his perch on the edge of the couch. _

_"Leia," Sola breathed as if she had seen a ghost. "Such a beautiful name."_

_"It is a pleasure to meet you, Sola," Leia found her voice, although Han could hear the edge to it. _

_"Oh Leia," Sola's face crinkled into a smile. "You have no idea." She hesitantly reached forward to cup Leia's face in her hands, eyes wet and her lips trembling. "You look so much like her," she said._

_"So I've been told," Leia answered softly. _

_Sola began to cry, and pulled Leia into a tight embrace. After a few moments Leia relaxed into the arms of her aunt and Han sighed with relief. Luke had told him that Sola had a friendly and welcoming demeanor, and it seemed that despite Han's doubts that information had been correct. _

_Han watched as Leia pulled away and wiped the tears from her eyes, visibly composing herself. There was such a look of wonder on Sola's face, as if she could not believe that Leia was real. It made Han's heart twinge a little, for he'd never been close with his own family back on Corellia. His mother and father had died when he was still a boy, and the less said about his aunt and cousins the better. And yet, he had Leia and Luke, and one day, he would have his own children and with any luck nieces and nephews as well. Leia may have taken his name when they'd gotten married, but Han had taken her family. As for Chewbacca – well, he had adopted them all long ago. _

_"Please, sit down," Leia gestured towards the table where a tea tray had been prepared. Sola took a seat graciously and Leia followed suit, but Han remained perched on the edge of the couch, not wanting to intrude on Leia's moment. _

_"Tea?" Leia asked, and poured a cup when receiving an affirmative reply. "It must be strange," Leia added lightly. "To have someone else playing hostess in your own home."_

_"Not at all," Sola replied with a kind smile. "This is a family home, and you, dear Leia, are family. You must come and stay anytime you like."_

_"That is kind of you," Leia said evenly. Han knew that it would take time to think of the Naberries as family, but eventually she would realise that acknowledging them as such would not displace the Organas from her heart._

_"It must have come as quite a shock," Leia continued, eyes darting up cautiously over the rim of her teacup as she drank. "To learn about me and my brother."_

_Sola put down her tea gently, but Han did not miss the slight tremble in her hand. "It was," she nodded. "But a wonderful one," Sola added, reaching forward to touch Leia's hand. "Padmé was my younger sister, but she was always wise beyond her years. She was a wonderful queen, and I was so proud of her." Sola looked away wistfully, and Han wondered if she was remembering her own childhood in the villa, and happier times with her lost sister. _

_"She always fought for the weak and maligned," Sola continued. "Believing that it was the obligation of the powerful and strong to protect those less fortunate." Sola smiled lightly and Han smirked at the familiarity. "And yet she was a slave to that duty," she continued. "I used to tease her that she was so concerned with the happiness and wellbeing of others that she wouldn't have time to find it for herself…" Sola suddenly became somber, and withdrew her hand, searching within the pockets of her dress for a handkerchief. "But I suppose she did, for a while. Although she could not tell me." Sola dabbed the corner of eyes with her handkerchief, clearly upset by the memory. _

_This time it was Leia who reached over the table to gently rest her hand over Sola's in comfort. Han looked down at his boots, unsure of whether he should offer his own support or allow Leia her space. _

_But then Sola raised her head and smiled weakly, trying to dispel her melancholy. "But I'm sure Luke has told you all of this," she said. _

_"Yes," Leia admitted. "But I would like to hear it from you, as well. Luke…has a tendency to focus only on the positive, and I like to know the whole story." _

_"He has a very warm spirit," Sola agreed with an indulgent and genuine smile. And aunt's smile, Han noted. _

_"Did you talk to him much when he was here?" Leia asked, pouring them both more tea. _

_Sola nodded. "I was so pleased to be paid a visit from the famous Luke Skywalker," she answered, sipping from her cup. "He said that he was looking for his mother." Sola looked away, sadness once again crossing her face. "I told him that I was sorry, but it couldn't have been Padmé, for she and her child had died."_

_Han thought back to Ben Kenobi, and wondered how the old man had lived with himself, allowing Sola and the Naberrie family to believe they had lost not only Padmé, but her child as well. He had never cared much for Kenobi; now he wished he'd acted on the urge he'd once had to punch the sleemo in the face. _

_"I told him I had once met his father," Sola continued. "It was so many years ago, and I was sorry I could not remember much." She clasped her hands in her lap and composed herself. "I took him to see Padmé's grave, and he stayed there for a long time, but did not share his suspicions with me. Perhaps he would have, but there was a situation on Theed that day and Queen Mercella asked him to intervene."_

_Han fought the urge to roll his eyes – of course there had been. He kept telling Luke not to check in with the local government authority every time he visited a new planet, or he would spend all of his travels doing them favours. But of course, the young man had not listened. He was also a slave to duty. _

_"It was only after Luke returned to Coruscant that he called me and let me know what he had discovered," Sola added. "We've spoken a few times since then." _

_Leia cast her gaze downward and took another sip of her tea. Luke had asked her to join him, of course, but Leia had been reluctant. She'd wanted to meet Sola face to face, first. _

_"Do you have any children, Sola?" Leia asked, shifting the conversation away to a safer topic. _

_"Two," Sola smiled broadly. "Ryoo and her husband live in Theed, and my younger daughter Pooja is on Coruscant. She followed in Padmé's footsteps and became a Senator."_

_Comprehension dawned on Leia's face. "I know her," she nodded. "Senator Nabarrie, of course." Leia laughed lightly. "She was an informant for the Rebellion, I've met her several times. We had to be careful in those days, but I always sensed that I could trust her." Leia shook her head in disbelief, as if she wasn't sure why she hadn't put it together before. _

_"Well she is your cousin, my dear," Sola said fondly. "You must go see her when you return to the Captial."_

_"I will," Leia promised. _

_"And you must come and visit the rest of your family here on Naboo," Sola told them. "My husband Darred is desperate to meet you, as are your grandparents, of course."_

_Han saw a brief panic flicker in Leia's eyes, and could see that the prospect slightly overwhelmed her. He was about to cut in and make some excuse, or even just point out that he and Leia were in their honeymoon and they would like time to enjoy each other, thank you very much, but Leia composed herself quickly._

_"We would love that," she smiled, and Han could see that her concern about the Nabarrie family had been alleviated. They were welcome, and wanted. _

_The two women began to chat again as Leia told her aunt about her adventures in the Rebellion, meeting Luke and Han and discovering her true parentage. She did not mention Darth Vader, but instead went along with the official story which had been released by the NR government; Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Naberrie had been secretly married during the Clone Wars, but Anakin had been killed in the Jedi Purges and Padmé assassinated in a plot by Palpatine to prevent the birth of her Force-strong children. Han noted with distaste that this version cast Kenobi is a somewhat more heroic role than he deserved, as the dear friend to both Skywalker and Naberrie, spiriting Padmé away so she could give birth and he himself watching over one child, while the other was raised by ally of the Jedi Bail Organa. Why Kenobi had not thought to bring either child or both to Naboo, Han could not fathom. _

_But the holopress and public had eaten the story up, and Han had heard that there was already an unauthorized holofilm and an officially sanctioned documentary in the works. The price of fame, he supposed. _

_The conversation was soon interrupted by a loud beeping from the comm unit signaling an incoming call, and Han ambled over to answer it. "Solo, here," he said, feeling both Leia and Sola's scarily similar eyes on him. _

_"Han?" Wedge's voice came over the comm. _

_"Wedge." Relief flooded though Han to hear from him. Leia had lost contact with Luke through the Force a few days ago so he'd asked the General to look into it - and had tried to keep his wife distracted from her worry since then. "What's the story?"_

_"I've brought the _Victory _to Myrkr-"_

_"You took a Star Destroyer?" Han asked, incredulous. "I said send the Rogues."_

_"I did," Wedge answered, and Han could almost hear his grin. "I'm still Rogue Leader."_

_"Did you find him?" Han rolled his eyes and moved on._

_"Not yet," Wedge said regretfully, and Han's heart sank. "We've visited the base of Talon Karrde but his people claim he's gone – they don't know where," Wedge continued. "But from the logs a ship took off right after we hailed them from the _Victory _– pretty convenient, huh? It hasn't left the system, they must still be on the planet. And I bet he's got Luke." _

_Damn smugglers, Han thought to himself, not even able to appreciate the irony of such a thought. Like all of them Luke had a dozen bounties on him that any two-bit criminal would be happy to collect. But from what he'd heard, Talon Karrde was no lowly outlaw and Han knew from experience it was the clever ones you had to watch out for. With most smugglers it was simply a matter of price, but it was almost impossible to tell which way a man like Karrde could swing. He could be a helpful ally or a bitter enemy, and you wouldn't know which it until the moment he betrayed you. _

_"We're on our way," Han said resolutely and switched off the line, turning back to the two women at the table and shrugging apologetically. He knew without even asking that Leia would want to go to Luke immediately. _

_Sola seemed to understand, and looked at Leia kindly. "Your brother seems to attract trouble, doesn't he?"_

_Han sighed. "Lady, you have no idea."_

* * *

**29 NRE **

Mara walked swiftly through the hallways of the New Republic Executive Building towards the Chancellor's Suite. Jaina was on maneuvers with Rogue Squadron, and so Mara was having difficulty distracting herself. She'd tried to discuss Academy business with Tionne, but such matters bored Mara to tears and she'd been unable to stop her thoughts drifting to her husband and sons out in the galaxy, away from her protection. Since she knew Leia would also need some distracting today, she'd decided to drop in on her sister-in-law.

"Mistress Mara!" Threepio greeted her enthusiastically at the entrance to Leia's office "Oh, dear," he added worriedly. "I mean Master Jade," he corrected himself apologetically when he saw she was wearing her Jedi cloak.

"Call me whatever you like, Threepio," Mara rolled her eyes. A slave to protocol, Threepio was always anxious to use the correct title for the occasion. So when he saw her at a family occasion, it was _Mistress Mara_, but when she was on Jedi business it was always _Master Jade_. Mara had once spent an amusing evening confusing his circuits by pointing out the contradictions in his stance. Why did he never call Luke _Master Skywalker_? Threepio had tried to argue that it was because he was Luke's droid. Mara had pointed out that hadn't been the case for years, and therefore there was no reason to refer to her as his mistress by proxy. And besides, she'd added, he lived with Han and Leia and yet while he alternated between _Mistress Leia_ and _Madame Chancellor_ depending on the occasion, he only ever referred to Han as _General Solo_.

Mara had taken much pleasure in Threepio's flummoxed little twists of the head and arms as he had been unable to come up with a suitable explanation. Then Luke had told her to knock it off and leave the poor droid alone, giving Threepio a sympathetic pat on a golden shoulder.

"I'm here to see Leia," Mara informed Threepio. "And no, before you ask I don't have an appointment," she continued, before stalking past him and into the Chancellor's Office without bothering to knock. Mara ignored Threepio's protests behind her, since she'd checked Leia's schedule herself and saw that she had a free afternoon.

Leia was tapping away at her computer interface when Mara entered, but when she looked up her face betrayed no surprise.

"Hello, Mara," Leia greeted her with a warm smile and then went back to her typing. "I thought I felt you coming."

Threepio waddled into the room behind Mara with obvious distress. "Madame Chancellor-"

"It's alright, Threepio," Leia waved him away, not taking her eyes off her display. The droid spluttered about for a bit, but then obediently retreated to the outer rooms.

Mara crossed the room and relaxed into a chair across from Leia's desk. She swung one leg over the other to make herself comfortable and patiently waited for Leia to finish whatever she was working on. Had it been anyone else, Leia may have been tempted to stop what she was doing immediately, but Mara didn't mind Leia finishing her work, just as Leia didn't mind her showing up unexpectedly. It was only a few minutes before Leia closed the document she was working on and gave Mara her full attention.

"Where's Zeb?" Mara asked, noting that the young man was not at his desk.

"Meeting with the Rodanian senator," Leia told her. "She is a trial to deal with, but its good practice for him."

"Hmm." Mara wasn't overly interested in that. "Jaina's been pretty happy the past few days," she added slyly, a subject she found much more entertaining.

"Yes, she has, hasn't she," Leia agreed with a smug smile of her own. "Has she said anything to you?"

Mara shook her head. Jaina hadn't breathed a word to her, but she'd noticed the change in her demeanor and felt the lightness of her spirit. It hadn't been too hard to figure out the source.

"Well, let her keep her secret for now," Leia advised. "After all, love at nineteen rarely lasts."

Mara gave her a pointed look. "And sometimes it does."

Leia looked as if she was far away, a soft smile on her face as she fingered the pendant which always hung round her neck. "Yes. Sometimes we get lucky."

"Speaking of luck," Mara said. "When is that no-good husband of yours back?"

"Soon," Leia said somewhat soberly. "Today, I hope."

Mara mentally kicked herself – of_ course_ Leia would want Han to be with her today, and she'd drawn attention to the fact he wasn't back yet. It was a rookie mistake, one Mara could only blame on her own turbulent emotions. The day Luke had left for Tatooine she hadn't even been able to leave her room, an uncharacteristic despondency settling on her. Micah had come round that morning and tried to rouse her, but she had ignored his knocks on the door. Leia had arrived later that night and unlike Micah had not been stopped by a locked door. She'd let herself in and crawled into the bed beside Mara and had embraced her tightly as only a sister could. Mara hadn't needed to tell Leia her worries – her fear about the visions Luke had experienced, her eldest son on the same planet as a suspected Sith, her other son about to leave as well. Leia knew it already, and soothed her with understanding and sisterly affection.

Mara had felt ashamed when Leia had told her of the days events at NRI and on Corellia. Not for the first time was she humbled by Leia's compassion, that ability to set her own sorrows aside and alleviate the pains of others. It had galvanized Mara into action, promising Leia that the Jedi would investigate both situations. She'd even been able to make it to the spaceport before Micah left for Rodan, to say goodbye and also to hear his first-hand account of the Freesi pirates. Mara had spent the past few days investigating with little success, and told Leia so.

"From what Syal Antilles reports the NRI haven't had much luck either," Leia informed her in response.

Mara flinched at the name. Although she loved Syal dearly, but it was a mother's prerogative to take her son's side in any conflict, and so had avoided the woman for some time. "We'll keep trying, Leia," Mara promised, thinking that she would have to seek out the Antilles girl after all.

"Excuse me, Madame Chancellor?" Threepio appeared in the doorway again.

"Yes, Threepio?" Leia asked, throwing Mata an exasperated glance.

"Senator Avaice has filed an official request for the Jedi Order to report to the Senate," Threepio told them as he waddled over to Leia's desk, a datapad in his hand. "It requires your approval."

Leia's mouth twisted distastefully at the news. "He was in here the other day asking why so many Jedi have been away from Coruscant."

Mara rolled her eyes. "Is that old coot still alive?" she asked with derision. "I used to see him around the Imperial Palace when I was the Hand," she added conversationally. "He was a pompous blowhard then and I gather not much has changed."

"It hasn't," Leia said grimly. "And he refuses to retire." Leia took the datapad from Threepio and studied the request for a few moments. "Technically the Jedi Order is not a government body," she said, her eyes scanning the document. "And therefore cannot be compelled to appear before the Senate." Leia signed her name electronically on the datapad. "But I suggest you agree - to do otherwise would generate even more suspicion."

"I'll ask Tionne," Mara agreed, and then sighed. "You shouldn't have given up your seat on the Council, Leia," Mara told her as Threepio exited the room again. "You're better suited to this than any of the Jedi at the Temple."

"I had to, you know that," Leia replied, perhaps a bit sharply. "It's a conflict of interest – to be a Jedi and Chancellor is one thing. To have a seat on the Council and hold the highest office in the Republic is something else entirely."

"I suppose you're right," Mara conceded. "I guess I miss the old days a bit," he added with a nostalgic smile. "Remember Dathomir?"

Leia chuckled fondly. "I think you and I enjoyed it more than Luke and Han did."

Mara grinned at the memory. "I don't know what they were complaining about – once the witches realized that the boys belonged to us they backed off."

"I don't remember you being so amused when Teneniel Djo tried to claim Luke as her mate," Leia teased her.

"I don't know what you mean, Leia," Mara countered innocently. "I acted perfectly rationally."

"Rational by Dathomiri standards, perhaps," Leia insisted. "Hardly by Jedi ones."

Mara shrugged and was about to retort when she heard a Threepio's raised voice and a load roar in the outer room. She leapt to her feet, lightsaber in hand, but relaxed when she saw the reason for Threepio's excitement.

Han Solo limped into the room, a brace on his left leg impeding his movements but not his swagger or his crooked grin. Beside him was Chewbacca, growling at Threepio as the droid was giving them both a lyrical greeting and his relief at seeing Han alive and well.

[Look who I found at the spaceport] Chewie roared at them, shooing Threepio away.

"Oh, Han!" Leia swept over to him, running her fingers through his silver hair and covering his face with kisses. "What have you done to yourself, you silly man?"

"The ground did most of the damage, to be honest," Han joked and accepted Leia's kisses with fervor. His arms encased her tightly, and Mara felt relief and a twinge of longing for her own husband.

"If you'll excuse me," she cut in with a wry smile as she headed towards the door. "I'd like to leave the room before your reunion becomes too vigorous."

"Wise move, Jade," Han growled before he turned his attention to Leia again. Chewbacca roared his agreement and followed Mara out into the main suite, leaving husband and wife to their reunion.

"So how are things on Kashyyyk, Chewbacca?" Mara asked as they walked through the Senate halls.

[All is well] Chewbacca growled. [Although I overheard something troubling at the spaceport.]

"Oh?" Mara was curious.

[Two lower-levellers talking about the attack on NRI headquarters]

"Who_ isn't_ talking about that?" Mara shrugged.

[But these two mentioned the Freesi] Chewie rumbled. [That detail was not released.]

Mara couldn't help but feel brightened somewhat by the news – finally, a break in the case. "Tell me what they looked like."

* * *

Leia stood on her and Han's private balcony and looked wistfully out over the Coruscant skyline. It was twilight, arguably the most beautiful time of day on Coruscant, when the setting sun was reflected a thousand different colours against the mass of buildings and structures which were the spine of the city. The lights of the upper levels were starting to come on, adding further texture and depth to the metropolis already alive with illumination and movement.

And yet Leia could not appreciate the beauty of her surroundings. The lights and colours were lost on her, and the bitter chill of the wind cut through her thin nightgown. Through the Force she could feel billions of lives, shining so brightly and filling her head with just as many thoughts, hopes and dreams, and yet Leia's heart felt empty.

Her baby would be twenty eight today, she mused. He should _be _one of those billions of lives she could feel pulsating in the night, and yet she had lost him before she even had the chance to know him.

They'd been vacationing on Naboo in the final months of her pregnancy, as Leia had wanted her child born away from the oppressive attention and noise of Coruscant. And Naboo was not only the home of her maternal relatives, but it reminded Leia so much of Alderaan. She wanted her baby to know the beauty of deep oceans, soft grass and unfiltered sun, not the cool transparisteel and pollution of the Capital.

But he had come early, and Leia had been rushed to the medcomplex on Theed. Although she'd had the best medical treatment available, it had not been enough to save her little boy. She remembered holding his tiny body in her arms, utterly still and lifeless. She had felt the dark side swirl around her as she wept, compounding her grief and grasping at her, fighting for her. Luke hadn't been there – none of them had expected early labour and he'd still been on Coruscant working on the reconstruction of the Jedi Temple.

But Han had been there.

In that moment she had known that she would never give into the darkness or despair, so long as Han was with her. Leia had often felt pity from other Jedi who'd married within their own ranks, thinking that she and Han couldn't possibly have the same depth of connection that other couples found through the Force. They looked to her brother and Mara as an example of such a union, although Leia knew that neither her brother nor his wife ascribed to such notions. Still, younger, less experienced Jedi thought that the Force was everything; that it was the only way to truly connect to another. They were wrong, this Leia knew in the very core of her being.

Luke had once repeated to her the words of Master Kenobi – that the Force surrounded and penetrated all living things, binding the galaxy together. Simply because a being was not able to tap into that energy, he had told her, did not mean that they did not have the Force within them, that they were not made of the Force itself as Jedi were. It was Luke's firm belief that all beings could access the Force on some level, and if they could not do it consciously it could manifest in other ways – luck at a sabacc table, or a talent for flying. That was why he never turned away a prospective student, even if their Force talents were limited.

Although Leia could not consciously connect with Han using the Force, did not mean that the connection was not there, or was not as strong as Jedi partners shared. She felt she knew Han, and he knew her, on a level so deep and intimate that nothing could break them apart. It was that connection of soul that Leia had felt the worst day of her life, that bond which had drawn her back from the darkness. It was that bond that had gotten them through the years afterward.

She felt Han stir in the other room, and Leia left the balcony to return to him, curling up beside his sleeping form on the bed. He moved unconsciously to embrace her, and she rested her head against Han's strong chest. Leia wouldn't sleep that night, for if she did the nightmares would take her – visions of herself back in that medcentre with her lost child in her arms. But Han would be there to talk to her, to cry with her, to tell jokes and make her mad. Together, they would get through the night.

Leia rested her hand against his injured leg. He'd promised her that he'd spent some time in the bacta tank on the return journey from Corellia, which had been enough to set the bone, but it still required time to heal. He had removed the brace but still held his leg stiffly, even in sleep. Gently, Leia ran her fingers over his knee and calf, reaching out through the Force to locate the torn muscles, the crack in the bone which the bacta had not been able to remedy. Leia sent soothing waves through the Force, and felt Han shift and then relax against her she felt the pain recede. His lips brushed against her forehead and Leia relaxed deeper into his embrace.

They lay there entwined together in their grief and love and determination not to forget, but to honour and remember, even if it was only once a year.

_Happy birthday, my baby boy_, she silently whispered into the air as Han's arms tightened around her. _Happy birthday, Jacen._


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_**1 NRE**_

_Mara awoke to a severe pounding in her head and the scent of earth filling her nostrils. She groaned and rolled over, trying to orient herself. Then it came back to her in a wave - Karrde telling her frantically that the New Republic had sent a Star Destroyer to search for Skywalker and his plan to move him to a secret base in the mountains; her collecting Skywalker from his cell and having to listen to his insufferable chatter; him hearing the NR hail over the comm and using the distraction to draw his lightsaber. Then there was the frantic and sickening crash into the forest. _

_Mara sat up swiftly and looked around. The shuttle was nearby and it looked as it someone had extinguished several fires on the hull and cockpit. Across the small clearing where they had crashed Mara saw Karrde lying wounded and unconscious in the dirt, with Skywalker kneeling above him. Fear gripped her heart and Mara forced herself over to them, not about to let Skywalker hurt Talon. She was so blindly angry she forget to reach for her blaster, instead trying to push Skywalker off Karrde physically. _

"_Get away from him," Mara spat out with force and vitriol, but Skywalker held firm. It was only then that she realised he was was not attacking Karrde, but instead pressing his hands down against Karrde's leg to stop the flow of blood from a wound. _

"_Get a bacta patch," Skywalker growled. _

_Too shocked to do anything except obey, Mara stumbled back to the shuttle and located a small medpack. When she returned she took into account Karrde's full injuries. He had small cuts and burns on his face and arms from where the console had exploded on him, and Mara noticed a small piece of shrapnel, slick with blood, on the ground. Skywalker must have removed it from Karrde's leg and was now trying to stop the bleeding. _

_Mara recovered her senses and took a bacta patch from the medpack, pushing Skywalker's hands away from Karrde and applying the patch herself. Then she tended to his other, superficial injuries, feeling Skywalker's eyes on her the whole time. That Talon had not yet awoken concerned her, but his pulse and breathing were normal. Of more concern was the cut on his leg which might attract infection if not treated. _

"_It's not deep," Skywalker said when she was finished, putting a hand on her shoulder. "He should be alright." _

_A sudden and violent anger consumed her. "You idiot!" she screamed at him as she pushed him away, rising to her feet with clenched fists. He rose as well as gave her an infuriating, impassive look. "You sithspawn, look what you've done to him." Fury overwhelmed her, and Mara could not stop herself from hurtling her clenched fist towards his unaffected face, landing a clean punch to his left eye. The force of it sent Skywalker to the ground and satisfaction flooded her. _

_Skywalker sighed and rose to his feet slowly, rubbing his eye. "You shot at me first," he reminded her coolly. "I deflected the blast to avoid killing him."_

_Mara thought back to that split second in the shuttle, and realised that he had angled his saber at the moment when Karrde had stepped between them, deflecting the blaster bolt into the cockpit's console. Which meant that the crash was her fault. She looked back at Talon's form lying on the ground, an unfamiliar fear gripping her. _

"_Tell me why I can't access the Force," Skywalker demanded, and followed her gaze. "If I can get it back I could heal him."_

"_No, you can't," Mara rubbed her forehead with exasperation. "It was nothing we did to you – it is this planet." She lifted her gaze back to his, none too pleased to share Karrde's Jedi-proofing secret, but understanding that it was a necessity now. "Or rather, a creature on this planet called the ysalamiri – they block the Force within a ten metre radius. The base was full of them," she continued. "And there's even more here in the forest."_

_There was a rustling in the trees behind them, and Mara jumped back as she saw a fanged creature with a whip-like tail emerge. Luke saw it too, and drew his lightsaber, igniting the green blade with a snap-hiss and stepping between her and the creature. It leapt towards them with a suddenness of movement that beguiled its size, but Skywalker took two steps forward and decapitated the creature mid-leap. _

"_Is that it?" he asked, slightly breathless with obvious fear, staring down at the animal, steaming slightly from the cut of his lightsaber. Clearly, he was wondering what he would have done if the creature had not alerted them to its presence and given him time to prepare for its attack. _

"_No," Mara said, unable to keep the shake from her voice. "That's a vornskr." She put her fingers to her temples and massaged, trying to will away the ache in her head. "I have to fix the ship."_

"_No good," Skywalker shook his head. "The console's fried, even the communications are down. We should walk back to the base-"_

"_I'm not leaving Karrde," she cut him off angrily. _

_Skywalker eyed her. "If you let me finish, I was going to say we should walk back to the base and get help."_

"_It will take days," Mara countered, and she cast a worried look back at Karrde, still unconscious in the dirt. Even when he woke up, he wouldn't be fit to make the journey, not with that leg wound. _

"_If we secure him in the ship and leave supplies he'll be alright," Skywalker said. _

_Mara looked back at Skywalker, annoyed that his suggestion was actually reasonable. A treacherous part of her mind whispered that she should just dispatch Skywalker and claim that he'd been killed in the crash. Talon couldn't blame her for that, surely? And even if he suspected, she would have saved his life and would quickly get over a simple matter of disobedience. _

"_No doubt you're thinking that you can just kill me now, and make it to the other side of the forest by yourself," Skywalker said, and Mara was unnerved at his insight. "But you'll need me if those creatures come after you." He indicated the dead vornskr in the dirt. _

"_I can take care of them myself." If she had his lightsaber, Mara told herself, she could defend herself. She had once been a hunter herself, she knew how they thought._

"_Maybe you can," he nodded. "But would you bet your life on that? Would you bet his life?" he gestured to Karrde._

_Skywalker waited for several long seconds as she stared him down. Killing Skywalker was her final order from the Emperor, and she had never failed before. She'd let that impulse overwhelm her, in the shuttle, taking the shot on the chance that he would not be able to deflect it in such close quarters and it would be over. _

"_In case it helps you make up your mind," Skywalker continued. "I should point out that I have the only blaster." He pulled Karrde's gun from behind his back and Mara cursed herself inwardly. He must have pocketed it before she'd regained consciousness, and Mara pulled her own blaster, confirming that the crash had short-circuited the wiring, rendering it useless. _Damn_, Mara thought to herself. It was careless not to think to secure Karrde's blaster, but she'd been so concerned for him._ That's why you can't care for people_, she berated herself. _They make you weak. _And now she would pay the ultimate price. _

"_You win, Skywalker," she said with resignation, throwing her ruined blaster down to the ground. "Just do it quickly."_

_Skywalker visibly blanched and put the blaster back in his holster. "I'm not going to kill you, Mara," he said, as if the thought was abhorrent. She took a step towards him, for a split-second wondering if she could take the blaster from him, but it was immediately back in his hand and Mara was unnerved. She'd never seen anyone draw a weapon that fast. _

"_Let me clarify," Skywalker said, and there was a sudden edge to his voice. "I don't _want _to kill you. But don't force my hand, Jade."_

_She took a step backwards. "You should kill me," she told him. Better to die than be his prisoner and live with her utter failure. "Because sooner or later I'll get that blaster from you, and that will be it. Because I _do _want to kill you and I won't hesitate."_

_Skywalker stared at her for several long moments, almost as if he was trying to read something in her eyes. Mara told herself that he couldn't possibly, not without the Force, but didn't care because she knew that her gaze held only resolve. _

"_I'll take my chances," he said, holstered his blaster and walked over to Karrde, hoisting the man up to drag him to the shuttle. _

_Mara furrowed her brow, wondering why he would be stupid enough to leave an enemy alive. She was more of a danger to him than the vornskrs, and Karrde had been the man who'd wanted to collect the bounty on his head. Why would Skywalker show compassion to either of them?_

_Because it wasn't compassion, Mara told herself. It was arrogance – like all of the Jedi before him. And as it had been for the other Jedi, that arrogance would be his undoing. But she went to help him carry Karrde back into the shuttle, unrolling a bedroll for him to rest on and placing medical supplies, food and water in his reach. It would be enough to last him four days, and if he changed the bacta patch regularly his leg wound should not put him in any danger. She wrote an explanation and instructions on a datapad for when he awoke. _

_Skywalker collected the remaining supplies into a travel pack and slung it over his shoulder. Mara knew that the sooner they left the sooner they could get help, but she could quite bring herself to stand. _

"_I'll be outside," Skywalker said softly, and walked down the ramp as Mara turned away. _

"_Karrde?" she took his hand and squeezed. He grunted and his eyes opened to slits, to Mara's great relief. "Talon?"_

"_Mara?" Karrde's gaze was unfocused and his voice heavy. "What-?"_

"_I left you a note that explains everything," Mara told him. "Skywalker and I will walk back to the base and get help - you'll be safe here."_

_Karrde clutched her hand anxiously. "Skywalker…"_

"_Don't worry, Karrde." She patted his hand fondly, so grateful that he was alive nothing else seemed very important. "I won't kill him. I promised you."_

_Karrde's dark, cloudy eyes were on her. "Not for me," he muttered. "For you." He winced in pain, his leg shifting slightly, and Mara quickly gave him an injection of painkillers. It would knock him out for a few hours, but that was for the best. _

"_You're not...who he made you Mara," Karrde said as the drugs acted quickly and he struggled to stay awake. "You are who you choose - remember...remember that."_

"_Karrde?" Mara questioned him, but he slipped back into unconsciousness, leaving her uncertain as to what he'd meant by the words. Sighing, Mara patted his hand again and left the shuttle._

_Skywalker was waiting for her at the treeline with a reassuring smile. She scowled and activated the shuttle's ramp, sealing Karrde safely inside. First she watched Skywalker turn his back and begin walking back in the direction of the base, then retrieved her broken blaster from the ground and put it back in her holster before following him into the woods._

* * *

**32 NRE**

The vast Jundland Wastes were the perfect place to hide on Tatooine. Deep canyons pitted the landscape, buffeted by rocky outcrops and steep cliffs of red sandstone. Magnetic deposits buried deep within the rock scrambled most technology, making the area impossible to scan. Tusken Raiders roamed the area, attacking anyone who came too close and marking their territory with mutilated corpses of their victims. But Fin Delrond was not afraid.

He had come across a tribe of them during his exploration of the Wastes, and he had only needed to draw his lightsaber and ignite the blood-red blade to ignite terror in their hearts. The Tuskens had garbled to each other in their own language and fled. He'd only been able to pick out one word through the Force: _ghost. _

Fin had traced their fear deep into the Wastes, until he came across the ruins of a Tusken village nestled in a narrow valley. Bones from banthas, Tuskens and humans littered the area; some old and chalky, others fresh from ritual sacrifices. A tattered shrine stood at the centre of the camp, with various offerings of bone, clothing and gaffi sticks, and Fin laid his hands over the artifacts.

The dark side was strong here. Fin could feel it, reaching out to him, embracing him, teaching him. Psychomentry had always been his gift; to see through the Force events long past. He searched through the camp, touching various objects and opening himself up to the impressions of the past and the secrets they were willing to share with him.

The overwhelming darkness he felt took the form of a dragon; a beast of pure wrath and hate and purpose. The dragon had reached out its claw, breathed its blue fire and slaughtered all that lay in its path, caring not for the innocence nor youth among its victims. It had been a great massacre; hatred fuelling power and fury until no one remained. Only the dragon.

But as Fin delved further into the Force, he realised that beast had been in the body of a man; tall and dark as a shadow against the red landscape. It's claws which had choked the Tuskens had been the fingers of the Force; the blue fire the dragon had breathed had been the lightsaber of a Jedi. Fin could feel the man's utter passionate hate through the Force, burning in his veins and clarifying his mind to a single purpose: revenge. The shadowed man may have come to this place a Jedi, Fin realised, but he had not left as one.

The dragon had been awoken in his heart, and would prowl and pace and claw at its cage until it was unleashed again. And yet Fin could sense there was more to his vision, some other piece of crucial information which the Force was not ready to reveal to him.

Who was the dragon? Was it a spirit, a dark entity which Fin needed to absorb, to become the Sith he was destined to be? Or was the dragon a beacon to show Fin what he and his father had come to Tatooine to find - a way to bring down the Skywalkers?

Fin searched again, but this time the Force chose not to answer him.

* * *

The southern expanse of the Jundland Wastes was treacherous and dangerous country. Not even the Tuskens dared set foot there, for sarlaccs lay waiting just below the surface, their gaping mouths disguised as crevices or fissures in the rocky landscape. They were not as large as their mighty brother in the Pit of Carkoon, but they were still deadly and uncharted. And yet easy enough for a Sith to sense.

Svel Delrond had known that Skywalker would visit the Kenobi home almost immediately upon arriving on Tatooine, and so they had been forced to abandon it as their base. He had flown their ship the _Peerless Joy_ low over the Wastes and through the Force quickly located a young sarlacc in an isolated area. It had been simple work for Svel and his son to kill the creature and take it's cave for their new hiding place. Svel knew that no ship would be able to detect their presence due to the magnetic rock surrounding them, and the creature's death should conceal their presence in the Force for a time.

So while Fin was exploring the Wastes, Svel busied himself in the _Peerless_' laboratory. The luxury yacht had been a gift from Svel's own father when he was fifteen, with state-of-the-art technical facilities to nurture Svel's aptitude for science. However, as the second-born of the House of Delrond, one of Coruscant's oldest and most aristocratic families, Svel had been expected to devote his youth to Imperial service. He had done so gladly, serving five years on the Emperor's personal Star Destroyer, often in close quarters with Palpatine himself. The Emperor had known the extreme loyalty and devotion of the Delrond family, who had spent generations locating and collecting Sith artifacts, and so had always shown Svel particular favour. Palpatine had nurtured the seed of the dark side within him, and Svel had always believed he was being groomed to take a place by his side, should anything ever happen to Lord Vader.

But Palpatine had underestimated the Rebellion, and so the Sith had once more become extinct, while the Jedi flourished under that upstart Skywalker. Svel stopped his work a moment to let his hatred for Skywalker fuel him, his absolute loathing for the man who had no breeding, no family and no history and yet was building himself a Jedi dynasty. Skywalker had to be stopped, which was why Svel had brought Fin to Tatooine. They needed to know more about the Skywalker line in order to find its weakness.

It was a conclusion Svel had come to after many years of exile. He and Fin were the only remainder of the Delrond line, and the two of them had travelled the galaxy together, searching for Sith artifacts and holocrons. It had been enough for Svel to build on the basic training the Emperor had given him to both improve his own skills and teach his son. The _Peerless_ itself had a room full of Sith relics which Svel had meticulously studied and cataloged.

And yet, Svel knew he had not yet reached his full potential, for whilst he was a Sith, he was not yet a Dark Lord. He knew everything there was to know about the Sith of old, and yet he'd had no true master to instruct him. That honour was reserved for his son.

But Svel bore no ill will towards the boy for that. Fin had always been incredibly strong in the Force, that much had been clear ever since his son had been born. He had been such a calm baby, who had lain in Svel's arms and looked up at him with dark, watchful eyes. It was as if Fin had felt his mother's death bringing him into the world, and so it had drawn the boy inward. Fin was calculating, even as a child, watching everyone and everything with cool detachment.

Svel felt his son's familiar presence approach, radiating with the dark side and the self-satisfaction of fresh knowledge. When Fin appeared Svel did not need the Force to see the triumph in his face.

"What are you doing, father?" Fin asked as he languidly made his way over to Svel's workbench, where he had resumed work with his instruments and vials of liquid.

"You used the serum, and so I have to make more." Svel's tone was clipped, although he did not blame the boy for seeking out Ben Skywalker in Mos Eisley. He was Fin's counterpoint; heir to the Jedi dynasty as Fin was heir to the Sith, and at least he was certain now that his serum worked.

Fin lifted his chin, his dark eyes alight as he refused to be rebuked. "I found it, father," he said in reverent, hushed tones, and proceeded to explain what he had seen.

"But you don't know who this Jedi was?" Svel questioned, abandoning his work and focusing his attention on his son.

Fin shook his head. "I felt that the Force was hiding something."

"Something about Skywalker?" Svel questioned. "A connection perhaps?" Svel knew from the Sith histories that the Jedi had once been encamped in the northern Wastes, with the Sith in the south during the great wars. The man Fin had seen could have been any one of those Jedi, but his instincts whispered that it was closer to home.

"I don't know," Fin admitted. "It felt as if...it was not the right time for me to know."

"A Sith commands the Force, Fin," Svel chastised his son. "He is its Master. A _Jedi_ waits for the Force to reveal its secrets - a Sith takes them." He grabbed the air for emphasis. "You _know_ this."

Fin nodded, his uncertainty fading into determination. "I will find out who this Jedi was, father," he promised.

"We will find out." Svel patted his son's shoulder gently, and led him into the main living area of the ship. "I will help you."

Svel sat down at the comm unit and opened the local data depository, searching for any information about the Tusken shrine Fin had come across. As they were deep underground he had to rely on information which he had previously downloaded, unable to access the holonet due to the interference the rock caused with some of the ship's systems. His son sat at the dejarik table and played against an automated droid, making his moves quickly and flipping a credit between his fingers while the droid calculated. Fin had never been one for diligent research, preferring to rely on his psychomentric abilities to _feel_ an answer.

"The Force led me there," Fin spoke up after a long silence. "It wanted me to find that shrine, and see what had taken place there."

"Yes?" Svel slipped through the screens of local histories, news, water prices and podracing scores going back one hundred years. There was no mention of the Tusken shrine.

"I know that I am meant to use the Force for my own purposes, and not follow it like the Jedi do," Fin continued, slouching slightly against the lounge. "But what if I need to follow it to ensure that whatever is meant to happen, does?"

Svel sighed and stopped his scrolling, turning back to his son. Perhaps it was Svel's own fault, he had guided the boy for so long and that, coupled with Fin's own shrewd nature, had made him naturally turn to the Force for guidance, rather than knowing what he wanted and demanding it of the Force.

"What is _meant _to happen is not always what does," Svel reminded him. "Even what is foreseen can be changed. If things had happened the way they were meant to, my son, you might never have been born."

Fin sat up a little higher. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that when I was not much younger than you I was meant to inherit a title and estates. I was a decorated Captain in the Imperial Navy and served with the Emperor himself." Svel eyed his son carefully. "And I was betrothed to the youngest daughter of the Ravenlok House."

There was a flicker of recognition in Fin's eyes, and Svel gave him a moment to search his memory for the name. "The Ravenloks were traitors," he responded eventually, and Svel nodded in return.

"They defected during the Invasion of Coruscant," Svel said with bitterness. "And she married some worthless Rebel." The fall of such a fine and noble family hurt Svel more than her personal betrayal of him. He'd barely known Sidel Ravenlok. "And yet here you are because what was meant to happen did not, and you are as strong in the Force as you are because another woman was your mother."

They did not speak of her much, because Fin never asked and Svel did not like to share his memories freely. His Laila had been striking, with honied blonde hair and steel grey eyes; beauty tempered by ruthlessness. Following the death of the Emperor and the capture of Coruscant by the Alliance, Svel had sought refuge with the Nightsisters of Dathomir, the only other practitioners of the dark side he knew of. Laila had claimed him as her mate, but a genuine affection quickly grew between them and he had convinced her to leave the planet with him in search of other Sith teachings. Her death had been a supreme loss to Svel, tempered only by the gift that was his son.

"So do not look to the Force for guidance," Svel said and watched his son's reaction closely. It was in keeping with his character, to quietly absorb the information for later contemplation. "Listen to what it has to say," he continued, "but bend it to your own will. What is meant to be is whatever you demand."

Fin looked up from the dejarik table, his dark eyes forever calculating and cold. "Yes, father."


End file.
